Taking On The World

Butting In

Happy 5th Birthday to Eyes Wide Open. It's my second favorite album from Sabrina and such a great underrated album from her! Thank you for all the reviews/votes.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Sorry for any spelling/grammar mistakes.

Enjoy!

Butting In

Maya cringed listening to Josh winced in pain as he got comfortable in bed before she carefully got in next to him. "You okay?"

"Yeah" Josh answered as he stretch his legs. "It's just my ribs," he answered with his hand on his ribs.

Maya looked at Josh concern.

"I'm fine," he assured as he rested an arm behind his head and the other cupped her cheek.

Maya nodded, leaning down to peck his lips before getting comfortable on the new bed in her semi-childhood bedroom, carefully resting her head on his shoulder.

"How did filming with Riley go?" Josh asked once the two were comfortable.

"It went really good."

"Yea?"

"Yeah," Maya nodded, looking up at her husband.

Josh stared into Maya's eyes, "What is it?" he asked, knowing something was running wild in her head.

Maya shook her head.

"It's something," he said, kissing the side of her head.

Maya sighed, "I feel so bad."

Josh narrowed his eyes in on his wife, confused by why she would feel bad. "I need more details," he told her. "About what?"

"Riley and Lucas are fighting," Maya admitted, quietly, causing Josh's eyes to go wide. "She doesn't feel comfortable being in her own home," she continued, biting her lip.

Josh push the shock away he felt about hearing his niece's troubles with her husband, knowing the look in his wife's eyes was about to be even more shocking. "What did you do?"

Maya took in a deep breath before telling him a little nervously, "So I...gave her the key to our apartment."

Josh sighed, shaking his head, "You did what?"

"I gave her a key to our apartment," Maya repeated.

"Maya," Josh groaned "Why would you do that?" he questioned, hating she got herself involved.

"So she could get away."

Josh sighed again, rubbing his temples.

"What? You think that was a mistake?" she asked, surprised by Josh's reaction.

Josh nodded, "Yea, I think you should have stayed out of it. I'm now involved by default."

Maya sighed, scrunching her face. "She's my best friend."

"I know and she is my niece. I want her to be happy. I want her family happy-"

"Me too. That's why I did what I did."

"That's why I think you should have stayed out of it."

Maya furrowed her eyebrow, "What would you have done if it was Andrew?"

"I would have told him to get his ass back home and fix it."

Maya sighed, again, shaking her head, "Well, maybe this will help fix it."

It was Josh's turn to sigh, "Maya, you can't fix this. Riley and Lucas have to," he told her gently, knowing his words were going to break his wife's heart. "I don't want to get you worked up and I don't need to get worked up and I don't want to cause an argument between us over this."

Maya nodded, feeling the same.

Josh grabbed Maya's hand, "I think we need to stay out of it and let them fix their own problems. It's their marriage. I know it's hard but I wouldn't want anyone butting into our marriage. I'm sure they will be okay. Couples fight. They will work it out."

"If they don't?" she asked, quietly, as the two got back comfortable for bed.

Josh could hear the fear in his wife's voice. He took in a deep breath. "I don't see them giving up so easily. I think Lucas and Riley will fight for their family."

Maya nodded staring at her husband, "But I'm not asking her to give us our key back if she wants to stay there then she can stay there."

Josh just nodded, knowing what was done was and there was no way Maya was going to ask for the key back. "Let's hope they work it out sooner than later."

XOXOXOX

Riley put the key in, slowly opening the door to her best friend and uncle's loft. She felt her daughter rush pass her.

"Uncle Joshy! Aunt Maya!"

"Penny, shh, sweetie. People are sleeping," she scolded her daughter, gently, knowing the little girl was use to being able to be as loud as she wanted in their house and not have to worry about neighbors being directed next to them or below them. The three arrived to her best friend and uncle's place close to midnight. She felt like a horrible mom having her children out this late but knew if she didn't leave when she did she wouldn't do it. "Uncle Josh and Aunt Maya aren't here. Remember they are staying at Uncle Shawn and Aunt Katy's," she told her daughter causing a confused look on her face. She knew her daughter didn't understand anything that was happening between her and her father. "We are staying here watching Uncle Josh and Aunt Maya's home while they stay there," she tried to explain coming up with the best excuse she could think of.

"What about Daddy?"

"He is watching our home. Now let's get you upstairs to bed," she told her before her daughter could ask anymore questions. She smiled at hearing her daughter's little pout and felt her heart warm a little after the hard evening. She tucked her daughter into her uncle and best friend's bed before going into the closet remembering Maya telling her there is a store away play pin in the closet for Aussie. She set the play pin up next to the side of the bed she would be sleeping on before picking her son up, feeding him and rocking him to sleep. She carefully laid him in the play pin before quietly leaving the room and going down the stairs, not being able to sleep herself.

She walked around, her eyes glancing around the small apartment, wondering how she got herself into this mess as her two angels slept upstairs in the bedroom. She reminded herself, this could be what saves their marriage...or break it. She walked over to the kitchen grabbing a glass of wine and started to look at some of the picture around the apartment she had looked at a hundred times. This time it felt different as she pay attention to details that she wouldn't have before. She stopped and stared at the two black and white picture frames on the brick wall. She stared at the pictures of Josh and Maya kissing and the other of them staring lovingly into each other eyes, both pictures taken in front of the Eiffel Tower. She wondered how different her life would be if she would have followed the path Maya and her mother took. Both getting married young but waiting a few years for kids. She always thought out of her and Maya, she would be the one who followed more in her mother's path in marriage and children, not Maya. She hated her thoughts could come across as she was jealous or even bitter because she wouldn't trade her world for anything because if she did she wouldn't have Penny or Aussie or now be married to Lucas.

Riley sighed as she took a seat on her best friend's couch as she tried to clear her mind. She hated the fact the hurt look on her husband's face and his question kept replaying in her head.

"Riley is this really about me staying in the military or is this about you not being happy in our marriage?"

Please leave me with your thoughts? Is this the beginning of the end for Rucas? FINAL chance to leave your questions for Josh so please leave them if you have any!