Weapons of War

Riley was coming down the stairs with a basket full of clean clothes waiting to be folded at quarter to eleven when the doorbell rang. She paused for a moment halfway down the stairs to make sure it hadn't woken Noah up before she continued down the stairs and to the door. Pekka was standing on the other side of the door when she opened it and he held up a to go cup and asked, "Coffee?"

"Have I told you that you're my favorite?" Riley asked him as she stepped aside and let him in.

Pekka followed her to the couch and asked, "Where's mini Webs?"

"Mini Webs? Seriously?" Riley asked in amusement and when he shrugged she told him, "Sleeping. He's not feeling great."

Nodding Pekka handed her the extra coffee and said, "Alright I'll be sure not to start screaming."

"Thank you. Shea would appreciate that." She told him and when he raised his eyebrow she explained, "I told him if any of you guys ever wake the kid up its Shea's problem."

Pekka chuckled and said, "Yeah well it is half his kid… or more like three quarters I guess."

"More like 95%." Riley mumbled and again Pekka chuckled at her. Curiously she asked, "Not that I mind but what are you doing here? Don't you have somewhere better to be at eleven on a Tuesday?"

"Nah. Brooke and Nolan are in Texas looking at schools, and I'm too old and married to hang out with the young guys and none of the other old and married guys are available. So I figured while Shea is doing his captainly stuff I'd come hang out with you." Pekka told her with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Texas? How does Brooke feel about that?" Riley asked him in amusement.

Pekka told her with a grin, "She likes it a lot better than San Jose."

"Ah, yeah I see her thoughts on that one." Riley nodded her head in agreement.

"I told him as long as he stays within our division I'd pay for his schooling." Pekka joked, and Riley chuckled.

She asked him, "Where would you prefer?"

"Chicago, maybe St. Louis." Pekka stated with a shrug of his shoulders. He then added, "I'd take anywhere as long as it has an NHL team, so I can visit at least once during the year."

"You make one hell of a step dad, you know?" Riley asked with a smile and when Pekka smiled she asked him curiously, "What about his dad?"

Pekka shrugged, "We haven't heard from him in like three years since that first time I met him. I think Nolan's finally let go of that ideal of who his dad is and he's come to terms with it."

"Helps when he has you around too." Riley told him and again he smiled. So she smiled and asked, "Now that you guys are gonna have empty nest syndrome, you planning on filling up the house again with any little ones?"

Pekka looked at her in confusion and asked, "Shea didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Riley asked and when Pekka didn't respond she asked him, "Is this your fucked up way of telling me that Brooke's pregnant?"

With a chuckle Pekka told her, "No this is my fucked up way of telling you that it might not happen for us."

"What do you mean?" Riley asked him, her voice soft and gentle. When Pekka simply stared at his lap Riley said firmly, "Pekka."

He sighed, "Doc said something about low mobility or something. Basically, for lack of speaking like a guy and not being elegant about the subject, slow swimmers."

Riley put her hand on his forearm and told him, "I'm sorry."

He shrugged his shoulders and said, "It is what it is. We're thinking that sometime between February and June we might look at other options."

"I'm sure things will be okay." She didn't really know what to tell him, and she felt bad for it.

He nodded, "Whatever happens, happens."

"Yeah and you guys can totally have Noah whenever you want." Riley told him with a grin that made him chuckle.

Curiously he asked her, "When are you and El captain gonna have more?"

She shrugged, "When the time is right. Right now it's just not, we want to wait this thing with Noah out and see how it goes before we add in the stress of another baby to it."

"Makes sense. How's that going by the way?" He had been meaning to ask about it, but it never seemed to be the right time.

"Good. He goes back in next week, and everything's moving on schedule." Riley told him, and when Pekka nodded his head she told him, "Thank you, by the way."

"For?"

"Shea needed to talk to someone, he won't talk to me because he thinks it's just adding to my stress. So thank you for just being you, because that's why he told you. He says it's because you cornered him, but even if you hadn't he would have told you. He really values your friendship, so thank you." Riley told him softly, and they both turned upon hearing tiny footsteps on the stairs and as Noah approached the couch Riley asked him, "Feeling better?"

He shook his head and climbed onto the couch between Riley and Pekka, and he glanced between the two of them as if unsure who to go to, before he laid down with his head in Pekka's lap. Riley smiled gently, pushed Noah's hair from his forehead and Pekka asked her, "You planning on going to that wives thing this weekend?"

Shaking her head she told him, "No, I'm gonna skip that one and stay home."

"You've been skipping a lot of them lately." Pekka told her and when she sighed he was quick to add, "I'm not trying to make you feel guilty, I've just noticed that you've kind of dropped the wives thing lately and I get why but I just don't want you to overwhelm yourself with Noah."

"You sound like Shea." She stated.

With a grin Pekka told her, "Well I don't say this very often but Webs can be smart sometimes."

"I know what you're saying, and I get it but I'm fine." She told him softly.

"I know that, but you also deserve a day or night off every once in a while. Riley don't wear yourself out, you need that time away from him with friends. That's the only thing that's going to get you through this." Pekka told her, and when she nodded her head slowly he asked, "Do any of them know?"

"Just Quinn. I want to tell people but at the same time I know they're gonna have questions and Shea and I don't really have the answers to those questions yet." Riley explained, and before Pekka could say anything she added, "I'm just afraid of what comes next. Not with Noah but with Shea and I."

"What do you mean?" Pekka asked her in confusion.

She sighed, tucked her dark hair behind her ears and admitted, "Right now we're staying where we are because of Noah. What happens when this whole thing is over and he's better? What if we don't know how to start moving again?"

"Ry, I know you guys have had trouble in the past but I really don't see that happening again." When she shrugged her shoulders Pekka assured her, "Really, I can't see Shea letting that happen again, and you don't give yourself enough credit. You won't let it happen again either. You guys will be fine, I know it and you should know it too."

"Thanks." She said softly.

He nodded, and then he asked her, "You guys are okay though, right now?"

"Yeah, we're good." She told him with a nod of her head.

"Because if you're not, or you ever need help Ry we're all here for you guys. We want to help, I know as soon as you start telling the guys they're all gonna want to help. Let us help, that's what family is for." Pekka told her, shooting her a look to say not to argue with him. He added, for good measure, "I want to help, however I can."

She didn't get the chance to respond, the front door opened, Shea walked in and Noah instantly stood up on the couch, leaned against the back of the couch and held his arms out for Shea. Riley smiled as she watched Shea slip out of his shoes, toss his keys and wallet onto the table by the door before he walked over to the couch and picked Noah up.

Noah cuddled into him, and whispered, "Miss you."

"Missed you too buddy." Shea told him softly, rubbing his back as he looked at Riley and raised his eyebrow, asking a silent question. Her shake of her head gave him a silent answer, and Shea turned his attention to Pekka and asked him curiously, "What are you doing here?"

"Came to hang out, keep Ry company, maybe con you into making me lunch. You know."

With a grin Shea asked him, "Brooke's out of town still?"

"Maybe." Pekka told him and as Shea took one of the plush chairs opposite of the couch, Noah still cuddled against his torso, Pekka told him, "She's gone all week. Dallas first, then Austin, then San Jose and home."

"Kids really not making it easy on her huh?" Shea asked with a hint of amusement in her voice.

He shrugged, "She'll let him go wherever he wants. She just won't like it if it's more than seven hours away."

"She's a mom." Riley stated, trying to stick up for her friend.

Shea shot her a grin and asked, "Does that mean if he wants to go to go visit uncle Roman during the summers you won't let him?"

"Absolutely not. Uncle Roman can come to us."

- - -

With a sigh Riley dropped onto one of the empty chairs in Quinn's salon. Bianca had the day off, and Riley had volunteered to hang out with Quinn after hours while she did inventory. As Quinn walked into the floor area with two boxes in her arms she asked Riley, "No Noah?"

"Nope. Shea's on daddy duty tonight. I think a few of the guy were coming over for a boys night or something." Riley told her.

With a grin Quinn asked, "What'd you have to do to get him to agree to that?"

"Told him I'd take the dog for a walk tomorrow." Riley joked.

"I wish that worked with James. I have to offer sex as a reward for doing something, and I actually have to follow through with it." Quinn stated, sighing dramatically for good measure.

Riley let out a chuckle at that, and reminded Quinn, "You once said he was good in that department. I believe you used the term 'next level' actually."

"Oh don't get me wrong he is exceptional in that department, but I like getting him to do things for me without having to bribe him." Quinn told her with a chuckle.

Riley laughed and said, "I'm lucky, I didn't even have to bribe him, hell, Shea practically had to shove me out of the door."

"He's a good one that husband of yours." Quinn told her and Riley nodded her head in agreement. Quinn then joked, "Shea should train mine."

"You love James and all his weird quirks and you know it." Riley told her and Quinn met her eyes with a grin.

"Yeah I know. It's just so much fun pushing his buttons." Quinn admitted making Riley let out a laugh.

As Quinn started counting containers of developer and Riley worked on inventory of spa tools and their equipment Riley mused, "It's nice to get out and do something other than hang with my two year old."

"Your idea of a good time is doing inventory? You want a job?" Quinn asked, stopping her count to look at Riley as if she had three heads.

Riley chuckled and told her, "No just getting out of the house is nice. Plus you're feeding me."

"When was the last time either of us had a homemade meal?" Quinn asked in curiosity. She told Riley, "I've been here late for the past five days, so I can say that probably not since last week for me."

"Last night I had mini pizzas with Noah last night." Riley told her and when Quinn chuckled she said, "I so did not feel like cooking."

"Next time you better invite me over." Quinn told her. Her phone beeped from the floor beside her and she picked it up, read through a text and then asked Riley, "Wanna come with me to Anna's doctors appointment on Friday? Since James is out town."

"Sure. I'll see if Bianca can babysit, maybe babysitting my little angel will make her and Roman want babies." Riley stated.

Quinn laughed and she asked her, "Why are you bent on them having babies?"

"Because they'd be cute." Riley stated with a shrug of her shoulders.

Quinn shook her head in amusement, and both she and Riley looked up when the door chimed and Quinn called out, "We're closed. Isn't it a requirement in the NHL to have to be able to read?"

Craig laughed as he walked in with Noah, who took off in a run for Riley. She raised her eyebrow at Craig as she pulled Noah onto her lap and he explained, "We ordered dinner. James is down the street picking it up and I figured we could come say hi."

"Mama I go with uncle Craig!" When Noah exclaimed this, in his choppy, still learning vocabulary Riley raised an eyebrow again at Craig.

He flushed and told her, "If it's okay with you I thought maybe I could take him off your hands tomorrow. Maybe just hang at the house, I'm bored with Kelly gone."

She smiled and nodded, "Yeah I guess that's okay."

As the door chimed again, signalling James walking in, Quinn didn't even look up from her box she was counting as she exclaimed, "Riff raff is not allowed!"

"I come bringing food?" James asked her, and when she looked up at him with a questioning glance he told her, "Steak, medium rare, with extra fries."

"Okay, you are allowed to proceed." Quinn told him, and James chuckled as he walked further into the salon.

He sat the bag of food on one of the tables and told Riley, "Shea ordered for you."

"Thanks." She looked down at Noah, and told him, "Time to go home."

He shuffled off of her knee and to the floor again before he shot off across the room to Craig again. Riley watched as Craig lifted him up and Quinn smiled and asked Noah, "Excited to go home and see dad again?"

Shaking his head Noah snaked his arms around Craig's neck and said "Uncle Craig."

Craig grinned and Riley told him, bursting his bubble, "He only loves you because you're hanging out with him tomorrow."

"Don't hate." Craig told her as he and James headed toward the door. Craig called out as they left the salon, "I'll be sure to not return him tomorrow."

"Please don't." Riley joked back, adding in, "We could use the break."

Quinn got up and grabbed their bag of food, bringing it to Riley where they separated it and sat down to have a bite to eat. After a few minute of silence Quinn told her, "Come out with us this weekend."

"What?" Riley asked curiously.

"Me, Kelly, Brooke and Bianca are going out for dinner and drinks on Saturday since the guys have an off day. Come with us." Quinn explained and when Riley hesitated she added, "Pekka will go hang out with Shea and babysit."

"Did you guys plan this so I couldn't say no?" Riley asked her in amusement.

"I'm not above having ulterior motives but I just want you to come out. You deserve a fun night off and what's better than girls night? Come on Ry, give yourself a much deserved night off for once." Quinn told her, and when Riley still didn't answer she added, "Don't make me beg."

"Fine. As long as Shea is okay with it." Riley told her, and her brow raised when Quinn grabbed her phone and started typing into it.

After a few seconds her phone beeped and Quinn announced, "He's fine with it."

"Did you seriously text my husband to ask if I could go out with you?" Riley asked her in amusement.

Shrugging Quinn told her, "I will do whatever I have to do to get you to come out."

"I can see that." Riley said with a chuckle. As they finished their meal and went back to inventory Riley asked Quinn, "Are you and James gonna adopt again after this one?"

"I want to, and I think he does. He comes from a big family so he wants a few kids." Quinn told her.

Curiously Riley asked her, "What about you? Just your two sisters right? But you're all pretty close?"

"For the most part. Jess and I talk every day but Taya doesn't really talk much to either of us lately." Quinn stated.

"Because of the husband?"

"Yeah. I just don't understand it, like why she married him after everything." Quinn stated softly.

Curiously Riley asked, "Do you think it's still happening?"

"Honestly? Yeah but she has to figure it out for herself. I just hope she doesn't have to learn that lesson the hard way." Quinn told her, and after a few silent seconds she asked Riley, "What about you? You're an only child right?"

"Technically." When Quinn's brow raised Riley explained, "Christina has a daughter with her other ex husband but I've never met her."

"How old?"

"Twenty- three." Riley told her. She hadn't even found out about the other family her mother had until a few years ago, when she was pregnant with Noah and Christina had reappeared again. The whole situation had angered Riley, how she had finally admitted to her that what Dave had said was right, that she left because she didn't want to be a mother and then seven years later had another kid. As if she could have a do over, and instead of repairing her relationship with the child she had she just went and made a whole new family.

Riley still hadn't told Shea that a few weeks prior Christina had called the house, asking if she would consider sitting down with her to talk. Riley had said she would think about it only to get Christina off the phone but now more than ever she was wondering if maybe she made the wrong decision. Not for herself, no, there was no repairing their relationship, but maybe she should at least consider Noah in it. She just didn't know how to approach the topic with Shea.