A/N Don't own anything
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"Mia" called Jackson loudly "Mia!"
The two year old ran through the house and up the stairs to his sister's room.
"What's wrong Jack?" asked his older sister Alyce, stepping out of her bedroom to the toddlers screams.
Jack frowned angrily as he continued his search for the missing girl, ignoring the four year old and running towards the spare room.
"Mia" he called out softly, stepping slowly through the door.
"Gottcha!"
The little boy squealed in delight as Mia lifted him high above her head, spinning him around before settling him on the ground.
"Very good seeking Master Jack" complimented the 20 year old, smiling brightly at Jack's dimples.
"Can I play?" asked Alyce tentatively from the hallway. Her blonde pigtails were falling apart and the older girl stopped to pull them tight before leading the children downstairs to the lounge room. Jack's eye caught the train set his mother had set up a few nights before and ran over to the tracks, forgetting the game of hide and seeks in exchange for Thomas the Tank Engine. From the kitchen the phone rang and Mia smiled apologetically at the four year old as she went to answer it.
"Hi Mike" she greeted with a grin as the familiar voice echoed over the speaker.
Jackson's head shot up immediately at the sound of his fathers name and together with Alyce he sprinted towards the kitchen to say hello.
"Daddy" he babbled breathlessly, hugging Mia's leg while holding a hand up towards the phone.
"Yeah, they're fine" nodded Mia, smiling down at the toddler as Mike enquired as to their behaviour.
"This afternoon? Yeah, they're your kids Mike" laughed the girl as Alyce's head shot up in anticipation.
"I'll see you then" she concluded, settling the phone back in its cradle. As she looked down, two pairs of expectant eyes met her own, each pleading to know what the conversation had been about.
"Is daddy coming home?" Alyce all but whispered, not daring to speak the words to loud in case she was to be let down.
"He's picking you up in half an hour" answered Mia after a pause, smiling as the children squealed once more. Alyce ran full bolt up the stairs, throwing clothes and toys into an overnight bag. Jackson on the other hand went back to his trains, tooting away happily as his locomotives left the station.
Exactly half an hour later two very expectant children stood side by side at the front door, bags and pillows resting against their feet. Jackson clung tightly to his teddy bear while Alyce decided between her care bears and rag doll; the rag doll winning in the end.
Five minutes later the doorbell rang and Jackson shouted something unintelligible out loud, pouncing on the figure that emerged as Mia opened the door.
Screams of daddy filled the small apartment as Mike rushed towards his two children, lifting them both up in a hug and kissing their foreheads whilst they rambled on about how much they had missed him.
"Daddy, I made a painting at preschool and got to go to Amber's house the other day and then I had dancing, and.." Alyce trailed off for a breath as Mike grinned over her head at Mia, watching both kids trying to inform their father of the past week in the same sentence.
"Did you have a good time at preschool?" asked Mike, softly placing Alyce on the floor in front of him and shifting Jackson on his hip. The little boy rested his head against Mike's shoulder and closed his eyes, exhaustion over the excitement of seeing daddy creeping in.
"And then I got to go to the park!" finished Alyce, throwing her hands around as her eyes lit up. She took a big breath and nodded at Mike, smiling sweetly before borrowing her head against his side.
Mike picked up the last of his children's bags before taking Jackson's hand. "We ready to go?"
Alyce nodded in agreement and ran over to Mia, thanking her with a hug and kiss.
"Bye Jackson" waved the young woman, stroking back the tired boy's hair. He smiled through the thumb placed in his mouth, yawning dramatically.
"Thanks for looking after them Mia" smiled Mike, he expertly turned the door handle whilst balancing Jackson before picking up the bags and carrying them out the door.
"We'll see you on Monday, won't we guys" stated Mike, earning a nod from Alyce.
Mia watched contently as Mike drove off with the kids, waving goodbye until they turned the corner.
Later that night Mike sat with Alyce curled against his side; Jackson, having fallen asleep earlier, lay snoozing on his chest.
"Daddy, why'd you and mummy not get married?" asked the four year old suddenly. She shifted to look up at Mike's surprised face.
"Was it cause you didn't love each other?" she questioned further.
Mike flinched at the question, trying to decide how to explain the situation to a four year old.
"Lyse" he began. He rubbed a hand across his face in frustration, knowing he could procrastinate all night and the child would wait for an answer without moving.
"Sometimes, when two people love each other, even if they have children, getting married isn't the right thing to do" he began.
"But how is it wrong if they love each other?"
Mike stared blankly down at the child, blinking at the simplicity of the statement.
"Well, sometimes they might have something stopping them" he nodded.
"Like what" deadpanned Alyce.
Mike sighed once more "Well, their jobs"
"Did your job say you weren't allowed to marry mummy?"
Alyce brown eyes widened in horror at the thought that her father's beloved job could be what was stopping her from having a family just like her friends.
"Not exactly sweetie" answered Mike truthfully "But, it does make it very hard"
"Why don't you stop your job?"
The older man stopped for a second to consider the thought. H glanced down at both children and though of their mother. Many times he'd wondered what would have happened if they had married when Alyce was born, would they still have separated or would Alyce have gotten her dream.
"Do you love your job more than mummy?" Suddenly the girls face screwed up in horror. "Do you love your job more then Jack and me?"
Mike's stomach fell as the enormity of Alyce's words hit him. He grabbed the girl's hand, rubbing it in comfort before placing a kiss on her forehead.
"Alyce" he started, praying that he sounded honest. "There is nothing and no one on earth that I love more than you and Jack"
"I promise" he added, smiling at the relieved sigh the four year old heaved.
"Just, sometimes even if a mummy and daddy love each other very much they can't live together"
Alyce nodded quietly against her fathers side, leaning in for a hug.
"If you want to talk to me any other time you know you can sweetie. Even when your not with me I'm only a phone call away"
"I know" smiled Alyce. She sifted on the lounge to push herself up, climbing to the floor to get ready for bed. Suddenly she leant across and kissed Mike's cheek, unsettling Jackson on the way.
"Love you Lyse"
"Love you daddy" called the little girl, skipping away towards the bathroom.
Mike glanced down at the drooling toddler sprawled out across his chest.
"Don't ever doubt that I love you too buddy" he whispered, kissing the brown head lightly as a tear rolled down his cheek.
He fell asleep hours later with dreams of their mother plaguing his restless mind.