Coming Home Who: Riley and Lia Where: Lia's home When: Early morning
So there was the whole naked thing. In a cage. With naked men in other cages. Lia supposed she should have planned better for the whole thing, but she hadn't known what to expect, and she couldn't even remember much of the night before. Her muscles were achy and felt bruised, but she was alive, and that was all she had wanted. But yeah… the naked part. Lia had stayed curled up in the back of the cage, her knees drawn up to try and hide most of her body. Thankfully those who had been with them had some clothes for them, and Lia quickly pulled on an oversized t-shirt and a pair of running shorts that thankfully fit. She could just see herself wandering through the dome toward home, holding her shorts up to keep them from pooling around her feet.
Feeling a bit shaky, but relieved, Lia finally made it home. Her hair was a mess and she probably needed a shower, but it was early enough that she was sure Sophia was still sleeping, but she had no doubt that Riley would be awake, waiting for her. And if he wasn't, Lia had the thought of slipping into bed with him and trying to return to some sense of normalcy. With a soft groan, Lia opened the front door, wondering if she ought to call out Honey, I'm home! My night as a bloodthirsty caged beast is over for another month!... Funny, but maybe too soon. So Lia shut the door and headed for the living room and kitchen to search for her husband, if he was awake.
Riley had taken Maggie's advice and not gone over the top in trying to entertain Sophia the previous night. He'd decided to give his boarders a break and just spend some one on one time with the little girl which had turned out to be both one of the best and most heartbreaking nights of his life. She was so exuberant and full of energy that it hurt his heart to know he hadn't been part of her life until now and that now it was a study in awkward fumblings toward parental responsibility.
He'd let Sophia distract him completely from worry about Lia or wishing he was there at the cages until she went to bed which had been entirely too late but she'd batted her eyelashes and pouted so cutely that he couldn't resist letting her stay up until she nodded off beside him on the couch. Not to mention she was keeping him distracted, telling him the most fascinatingly complex fairytale renditions even as she slipped off to sleep. Then he'd carried her upstairs, called Carol next door and asked her to sit in the house until he got back. Then he'd trekked out to the cages. He was a bit frustrated that at that point he had no idea which of the large wolves was his wife. If he'd been there from the beginning... but he stopped thinking about that and went home to wait for word.
He'd been awake most of the night, sitting in the living room but his eyes burned with exhaustion and finally closed not too long before Lia came in. He was softly snoring, his chin on his chest.
Lia found him there, smiling faintly to herself at the sight of him. Of course he stayed on the couch, sitting up… waiting. He could have gone to bed, but Lia should have known he wouldn't have. For a moment, all Lia could see was the seventeen year old boy she stalked in the hallways of their high school, hoping he would notice her. His face was older now, but she couldn't see haunted memories in his eyes as he slept, or worry creasing his brows or mouth. Her heart suddenly ached, missing the days when they were both innocent and in love. Before war, and selfishness and the zombies. Before werewolves. It wasn't the first time she wished she could erase the last six years, and it wouldn't be the last time. Licking her lips, Lia walked over to sit down gently beside him, her fingers come up to stroke against his cheek. "Riley," she whispered, not wanting to startle him.
It would have been impossible not to startle Riley at that point. He jumped at her touch, his eyes flying open immediately, but his surprised expression slid just as quickly into smile. He caught her hand and kissed her fingertips. "Hey there, beautiful," he said softly before the memories of last night filtered through the sleepy haze in his mind and he realized that seeing her meant she was okay. Safe and sound and not a monster. Relief registered in his eyes and he pulled at her, wanting her to sit on his lap so he could be close to her. He hadn't known exactly how worried he'd been about her until that moment and it almost had him choked up so he didn't say anything else, swallowing the uncomfortable emotion.
She was about to apologize for waking him, but then his lips were on his fingers and Lia could do nothing but relax as tension seeped from her neck and shoulders. Understanding him perfectly, Lia moved carefully onto his lap, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face against the side of his neck. She was getting used to hearing his heart beat in her ears, and Lia breathed him in, comforted by his scent. Vaguely she recalled sitting on this very sofa and asking Gin to take care of Riley and Sophia, should she not make it back home. But she was home now, more or less in one piece, and everything was all right. Clinging to Riley, Lia squeezed her eyes shut. She wanted to speak, but her own throat felt dry and full of emotion and relief, so she simply stayed silent for another moment, content enough to be with him before any real conversation needed to be had.
Riley wrapped his arms around her, closing his eyes and resting his cheek against her hair. She had an interesting smell but she was whole and here and it felt so good to hold her. Almost as though they'd been separated another six years. He gently rubbed her back, listening to her breathe for a long moment. Then he took a deep breath, his eyes still sleepily closed, and asked, "Are you okay?" She looked fine but he had no idea what might have gone on inside her that might have changed or damaged her.
Lia nodded before she swallowed and lifted her face from his neck so she could look at him. Bringing a hand up, she brushed some hair away from his forehead. "I'm okay… I don't remember much. I guess I'm a little sore." But that was probably to be expected. She nearly said she wished he had been there, but Lia remembered how vehement she was about him not being there, that had to bite back the words. Swallowing again, Lia leaned in and nuzzled her nose to his cheek. "How was Sophia last night?"
Riley was doing his best not to hold tightly to her. When she moved he almost wasn't willing to let her but since she wasn't getting up he didn't resist. He opened his eyes, his lashes heavy still but he looked at her, taking her in as though he hadn't seen her in ages though they'd spent time together a short while before she had to leave for the encampment. He smiled a bit at her touch, glad to hear she was okay if sore. He laughed quietly and said, "Sophia was Sophia. And you may want to let her stay home today. I was a bad Daddy and let her stay up til all hours. She now calls me 'Mr. Riled-Up' by the way."
Somehow Lia had known Sophia would manipulate Riley into staying up past her bedtime. Just from the way the two interacted since they met, it was obvious that the little girl had him wrapped around her finger. There was the brief thought that things might have been very different if they'd ended up having a son. "Mr. Riled Up," Lia repeated with a small smile. "I'm almost afraid to ask how that particular nickname came about but I think I want to know anyway."
Riley chuckled, his eyes going closed for a moment as he thought sleepily back toward last night. "I think she may have at one time been gently reprimanded in school for being a little riled up as she explained a bit later. But we were playing a bit rambunctiously and nearly knocked over a lamp over there," he said and pointed. "So she waves her finger, her face all scrunched up," he demonstrates with his own face, "her other hand on her hip, and says in this very authoritative tone, ‘That's enough now, Mr. Riled Up!' Then she laughs and says, ‘Mr. Riley - Mr. Riled Up!' And that was it. For the rest of the evening." He laughed quietly at the memory.
Mr. Riled Up. Lia wondered when Sophia would start calling him daddy. Maybe after Lia finally told Sophia the truth? Maybe. Lia smiled and rested her head down on his shoulder again, happy enough to simply breathe him in and relax. "Oh, you've got to be careful with her," she explained with a soft chuckle. "She'll be sure to put you in your place more than once if she thinks she can get away with it. But it sounds like you two had fun. I can't thank you enough for watching her. I know it was probably hard for you to stay inside while… well, with everything that was going on."
Riley was taking whatever he was allowed with this situation and not pushing. He knew that Lia still wasn't ready to break the news to Sophia that Riley was her father and maybe that was okay for now. Maybe the little girl needed to warm up to him before she found that out because then maybe she'd be happy about it. He hoped she was young enough not to be hurt that she'd never known him before. "She can put me in my place any time if it makes me laugh that much. We did have fun." He wasn't going to tell her that he'd gone to the cages but he wasn't going to confirm he'd stayed inside either. He wasn't going to lie to her for any reason. "I would have liked to have been there when you finally changed back but this is almost as good." He gently rubbed his hand up and down her arm and chuckled.
"I don't know what that might have looked like," Lia said, comforted by the feel of his hand on her arm. "Although I guess I'm grateful that someone else thought to think ahead. It's an odd feeling, waking up in a cage completely naked." Her voice held a hint of amusement, despite how embarrassing it had been at the time. "Next time I'll be sure to have a change of clothes with me. This certainly isn't my idea of fashion." She tugged at the oversized t-shirt. "Next month... maybe you could be there. I'm not sure if I can change in between moons or not..." That was probably something Lia should find out.
Riley hadn't really thought about her waking up naked. He didn't like that idea one bit and felt a surge of frustration rush through him. He should have been there. There'd been so many random people hanging around when he'd been there. Who knew how many prying eyes had been on her before she'd been able to cover herself. Had that bloke Micah looked? He'd bet he had. "Yeah, let's be sure you have some privacy next time," he said very quietly. "I think it would be a good thing if I was there next time." He glanced sideways at her head on his shoulder. "You don't think you might change accidentally before then, do you?"
Lia hadn't thought anyone had looked, and even if they did, the circumstances hadn't been the least bit sexy. She really hadn't expected so many others to be there, and honestly, but for Micah, Lia had felt a bit alone. But now she knew what to expect, and Lia wasn't going to fight against it if Riley wanted to be there the next time it happened. At least she hadn't been in a cage with another man. She had been much more comfortable in her own. Lia lifted a hand and brushed it through his hair slowly, just wanting to touch him a bit. "I don't know," Lia admitted after a moment of thought. "I guess it could happen. I don't have all the answers right now, but I can talk to Micah and see if he's figured anything else out. It seems like we're all just trying to play it by ear and deal with things as they happen."
Riley felt irritated and he didn't really want her touching his hair but he left her to it. He said nothing for awhile, stewing in his lack of sleep about how many times Lia went to Micah for all the answers to this thing that was happening to her. That she'd kept him away from. It ate at him in ways that it shouldn't have but he couldn't help it. He was supposed to be her husband, her protector. They were supposed to go through things together. Or was he living in some fantasy idea of what marriage should be? Yet he didn't want another fight right now. Couldn't handle it on no sleep. So he kept his mouth shut for a bit. "Maybe you should test it out at some point just to be on the safe side. See if you can control it."
It didn't occur to Lia that Riley had a problem with Micah. He was a doctor, and a werewolf, like she was, and it felt instinctive to go to him with questions about what had happened to them. Still, she could sense a shift in his demeanor. It was subtle, but Lia felt more in tune with his moods now than she had before being bitten. She continued to stroke his hair, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart beat and letting it soothe her, rather than immediately pushing him to tell her if something was wrong. "Maybe I will," Lia murmured, her hand stilling before she lifted her face to look at him, her eyes searching his. "Maybe you could help me with that... or at least be there when I try it."
With the mood he'd worked himself into he was kind of surprised she was asking him to be there rather than saying she'd ask Micah to give it a whirl with her. He felt sour and it may have showed when she looked at him. "What can I do to help?" he asked, genuinely wanting to in spite of his bad mood. He always wanted to be the one she turned to and if he could be there for her, he'd do it willingly. "Other than babysit," he insisted grumpily.
"You can be there," Lia said, still studying him with a calm expression on her face. "And if I happen to change and can't control what I do... maybe we can work out some kind of back up plan to keep me subdued until I change back." She lowered her hand from his hair to her lap, trying not to feel tense all of the sudden. Lia was quickly working backward, trying to think of something she might have said to have him suddenly so irritated with her, even if he might not have been wanting to show it. "And, just so you know, babysitting our daughter last night was a big help, and it meant a lot to me."
"Do you think that's something you'd want to do on the ranch? I have the fields and high-sided corrals for horses or cattle that like to jump. They're meant to withstand quite a bit from them. Some of them a lot heavier than a wolf." He kept his tone even, not wanting to pressure her into a decision about that. He wasn't sure if it was a good idea for her to test it if she somehow managed to get stuck that way. But he'd feel safer knowing he wouldn't wake up one night with an angry wolf in his bed. He was sure Micah could come up with a way to remedy that though so what did he have to worry about? "I don't mind babysitting Sophia," he said though he was thinking just not when important things are happening. "She's a good distraction at the very least. And it's good we bond which was the most important thing, I think." He believed everything he was saying but he was not happy it had had to happen at the expense of him missing something life-changing for Lia. It wasn't about his manhood anymore. It was about what he felt was right. It didn't feel right not to be there with her.
She gave that some thought before nodding. "I could try it on the ranch... as long as there's privacy. I wouldn't want any of the boarders witnessing what could potentially happen." Lia trusted Riley, but she didn't know many people who stayed on the ranch, and she couldn't trust that if one saw her shifting, they wouldn't tell people. Lia felt some relief when he said he hadn't minded being with Sophia the evening before. She so desperately wanted Riley and their daughter to get to know one another, and the last thing Lia wanted to see happen was for Riley to start resenting his position as a father because it would potentially take him away from situations where he felt he was needed. "It is important," she murmured softly, brushing her thumb against his jaw. "So what's wrong? Why do you suddenly feel so tense?"
"No, I'd be sure my name was the only one on the roster for whatever paddock we set up in. It's not as massive as my family's place but there are acres between some of those paddocks," he reassured her. He knew he could establish the fact that no one was to go into the paddock too by letting it be known there was some kind of outbreak in the "cattle" there and they needed to be left alone. He'd be obeyed without question in that case. "Mm, very if she's to trust me and be okay with the revelation that I'm her father when you decide she's ready." He controlled his tone on that as well so that he didn't sound like he was pressuring her in that direction either. That was one thing they could agree on. Lia knew their daughter the best and she was the best judge of when Sophia should know. He should've known Lia would pick up on his tension, he wasn't doing a great job at hiding it. Still, he played it off with a partial answer. "I didn't sleep. I'm grumpy." He yawned and stretched a little.
Lia knew Riley wasn't trying to pressure her into telling Sophia who Riley really was, and she appreciated it. It was one thing to deal with their personal issues together, but with Sophia, Lia knew she had to tread carefully. She was relieved to know they could use a paddock at the ranch. A part of her would rather experiment with her newfound abilities somewhere away from the cages that had been constructed. Being alone with Riley made her feel more safe, although obviously there was the worry that she could lose control and try to hurt him. But they could deal with that problem later, when they were actually out in the paddock. Right now, Lia was focused on Riley, giving him a faint smile. She knew he was lying to her, but she didn't want to push him if he didn't want to tell her what was really bothering him. "Well, Sophia should sleep for a bit longer. Do you want to go to the bedroom and try to sleep for a bit?"
He was tired. And maybe that was part of the reason behind all of the foulness in his mood. He hadn't been tired when he'd taken issue with Micah or with being asked to stay behind before though. He guessed he must not have let it go as much as he'd thought he had. Still, she didn't deserve for him to make it about him yet again when she'd been through a night that she'd anxiously anticipated in such a negative light. She seemed to still be nervous about the whole thing and he didn't blame her. That she might turn into a wolf and possibly hurt someone must still be weighing on her. He let his hand resume it's gentle caress of her arm. "I wouldn't say no to a nap, but are you sure you want to explain to Sophia why we're in bed together if she wakes up first?" He paused as the thought occurred to him. "Or were you just asking if I wanted to go?"
"No, I think I'd like to go with you," Lia admitted with a tired sort of smile. "If she comes barging in, I'll think of something. Chances are, if she was up late, we may get up before her anyway. If not, she may just hang out in her room and play. I'm willing to take the chance, if you are." She was just too exhausted to think of anything else, and Lia didn't want to go upstairs on her own and keep Riley on the couch. They were both wearing wedding bands, and it was bad enough that they still lived apart. She didn't want to sleep in separate rooms when she had a chance to be with him. Lia carefully slipped off of Riley's lap and took his hand in hers to tug him gently from the couch. Curling up beside her husband after the night she'd had sounded like heaven to her.
Riley nodded. "I'm willing to take the chance. You'd know better than I would if it would upset her. I trust your judgment." He made the decision to sleep on his sour mood and see if it didn't lessen after getting some rest. Until then, he'd be a little more diligent with keeping his grumpiness to himself and focus on her rather than on things he could do nothing about just then. He let her pull him from the couch though he suddenly felt like the oldest man. He was stiff and he stretched slowly. "That girl wore me out," he groaned almost goodnaturedly and slid an arm around Lia's waist.
Lia laughed softly and slipped an arm around him as well to keep him close. She nearly made a comment about how it had been worse when she was three and had never ending energy, but Lia bit her tongue on that at the last moment. It was just a reminder that he hadn't been there when Sophia had been born, or for the first six years of her life. And Lia didn't want to start scratching open old wounds. "You'll get used to it," Lia promised, pressing a kiss against his jaw before they started up the stairs. "The only time that girl sits still for more than three minutes is when she's not feeling well."
"I'm sure but it's almost worse than when I first got back on a horse after years away. The next day I had pains in places I didn't even remember existed." He chuckled but then the pathetic image of a sick Sophia filled his mind and he knew that he'd really rather be running around after her than seeing her unhappy. He smiled sleepily over at her kiss and kept his mind on the present and the future as they walked up the stairs and her closeness at his side. As frustrated as he ever got, it was still better than grieving every day for her, believing her dead and gone. Lost to his stupidity and failure to protect her. Yet it wasn't so and he was happy. He should spend more time cherishing her instead of being irritated with her. He gave her a squeeze against and kissed her temple.
"You're an old man now," Lia teased, pressing her fingers gently into his side. "Chasing around an active six year old is the best way to discover muscles you never knew existed." Sophia could definitely keep both of her parents on their toes. When they got to the top of the stairs, Lia led Riley down the short hall, past Sophia's bedroom and to her own. The bed was a queen sized, so there would be plenty of room for both of them. Lia shut the door quietly behind them before she began to strip out of her oversized shirt and shorts. She wanted something familiar and comfortable to sleep in. Riley had seen her naked more than enough times that she didn't feel shy about undressing. When she had, Lia reached for him and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "The next time we're alone, I'll thank you properly for everything," she whispered, the meaning behind her words evident in her eyes.
It was uncannily as though she'd read his mind and he laughed a little at her teasing. He'd definitely worked on muscles he didn't usually use. Like the ones required for crawling on the floor or trying to stay on balance while half-crouched to dance in circles. Riley followed her into her room and stood almost gentlemanly at the closed door though his thoughts were far from a gentleman's. Not that there was anything wrong with that or with watching her as she undressed. She was his wife. He gently touched her arm, his fingers sliding down to her hand as she kissed him. He smiled. "Looking forward to that, Mrs. Pollard," he replied.
If Lia wasn't worried about Sophia barging in on them, Lia might have put off the nap for awhile longer to have her way with him again. As it was, it might have been harder to explain Riley being naked than just sleeping, so Lia gripped his hand and led him over to the bed, drawing down the blankets so they could lay down. "You can undress, if you would be more comfortable," Lia told him, certainly not wanting him to think he had to sleep in all of his clothes if he didn't want to.
"It's always much more comfortable to not be sleeping in jeans," he replied, stepping out of his boots and then his jeans, beneath which were a pair of plaid boxers. He also shed his plaid flannel shirt, one of a million he had in varying colors. Had he not planned to be in the house all evening with his daughter he might have worn an undershirt but as it was, he was barechested and looking forward to feel of her hands at the very least against it. He would have liked to put off the nap a bit too but he was simply exhausted and crumpled onto the bed as though he hadn't seen one in years.
Lia didn't mind one bit that Riley wasn't wearing an undershirt. She would always, always prefer to see him barechested, obviously. It still felt like they had six years of celibacy to make up for, but it was obvious that they both needed some rest after the night they had. Once Riley was in bed with her, Lia pulled the blankets up over their bodies and then rested against him, her arm curled possessively around his body. This was where she was meant to be, and she could feel the anxiety and tension from the past few days starting to fade away. Maybe when they were all awake, she would make them breakfast. She had loved staying at the ranch, and she had enjoyed getting to know his housekeeper, and the boarders, but it might feel more intimate, like a family meal, if if was just the three of them. "I love you," Lia murmured, pressing a kiss against the underside of his jaw. "I'm glad you were here, waiting for me."
Waiting. It pinged a nerve even as he settled in, got comfy in his exhaustion, and began drifting beneath the warmth of her arm draped across him. Was he always going to be waiting? In the wings? Babysitting? Was that really what it meant to be a husband and a father? That thought threatened to send a surge of frustrated adrenaline through him that he really didn't want right now. He tried to shove it away and smile dreamily at her, focusing on the pleasant feel of her body close. "I love you too," he said softly, his hand sifting through her hair. "Here for you is where I want to be." And that was very true. If he could forget the outside world and simply be a family with her and their daughter, he'd probably be the happiest man in the world. But real life always encroached and no man, or family, was an island. Especially not in Delphi.
Lia certainly didn't intend for Riley to always be on the sidelines when it came to her life. If they hadn't had Sophia, she would have absolutely wanted him to be there with her. But she always wanted their daughter taken care of, and more than anything, she wanted Riley and Sophia to get to know one another. She didn't see it as Riley babysitting as much as she saw it as Riley being a father. She had stolen that from him for six years, and Lia wanted to try and make it up to him by giving him time with Sophia when she could. But she also knew him well enough to know that he needed to be there for her, especially when it came to situations like last night. She just had to try and let go of her fears so that he could be every bit as much of a husband as he was a father. Tightening her arm around him, Lia closed her eyes and felt herself begin to drift almost immediately. This was how it was supposed to be, and she wasn't about to give it up for anything.