Disclaimer: I don't own Left 4 Dead

Thought of this while listening to 'Roaring Tides' and 'To the same heights' from Clannad

Enjoy

Rochelle stood in the kitchen, humming a quiet tune to herself while walking across the cool tiles; the clanking of the dishes as they were stacked on top of one another causing her to stop her humming until she was finished.

Her thoughts slowly moving to Nick who was with Ellis, helping him with some kind of work at a place a few miles out of town.

Briefly wondering what he was doing as small footsteps came into the kitchen at an alarming speed, causing Rochelle's thoughts to jumble and disappear as she looked at Kaitlin who was staring up at her with tear stained cheeks.

She nearly dropped the plate in her hand as she fell to her knees beside Kaitlin and began looking her over, "Kaitlin, what's wrong? Are you hurt?"

The little girl shook her head, staring at her mother's worried face for a few minutes before finally speaking.

"I-I had a bad dream."

"What kind of dream?"

"Something bad happened to daddy and he never came home, I tried to find him but I couldn't and.. It scared me."

Rochelle's eyes were filled with sadness at the thought of her daughters dream as she wiped Kaitlin's face with a wet rag that had been sitting on the counter.

"Your father's fine sweetheart, he's with Uncle Ellis."

"Can I talk to him?" She asked quietly with some uncertainty as her mother threw the rag into the kitchen sink, a small smile stretching across her face at the young girl as she picked up the phone.

Dialing her husbands cell number and waiting patiently while it rang continuously, letting out a small sigh of relief when he picked up.

"Ro?"

"Yea, um.. Well, Kaitlin had a bad dream and wanted to talk to you." Rochelle explained as simply as she could, handing the phone down to their small six year old.

"Daddy?"

"Hey runt, what's the matter?"

She smiled at the sound of her fathers rough voice and quickly her nerves seemed to calm as her body visibly relaxed.

"I had a bad dream, something happened and you never came home." She said, feeling the small tears forming again as her father started to speak.

"Well, I'm right here safe and sound Kaitlin, I'm just - HEY.. ELLIS, WHAT DID YOU JUST DO!"

Kaitlin laughed at her fathers outburst towards her uncle as she heard Ellis yelling in the background, "shoot Nick look at all the horses!"

"Hey runt I gotta' go, that stupid hick just let all the horses out of their pin."

"Hehe, okay, bye daddy."

"See ya' later, kiddo."

Kaitlin pressed the 'off' button and handed the phone to her mothers waiting hand who smiled before asking why Kaitlin was laughing.

"Uncle Ellis let out some horses."

"That boy will never change," Rochelle said laughing herself at the image of Nick trying to get the horses back in their pin while controlling Ellis.

Kaitlin helped Rochelle clean up around the kitchen before going to try and take another nap.

Rochelle listened from her place on the couch as the front door was unlocked and opened, looking up to see Nick stepping inside, she smiled.

"You made it home alright, and you have a box." She said quietly before questioning what the box was, Nick smiled and had her follow him to the hallway where he looked for Kaitlin.

Surprised when he found her asleep in their bedroom on his side of the bed; Nick opened the box and pulled out a small German Shepherd puppy that wanted desperately to be let down.

"Nick, you got her a dog?"

Her husband smiled, "I figured it would help her feel better."

'He has a heart of gold,' Rochelle thought as she kissed him before he placed the dog on the bed.

Watching as it immediately went to Kaitlin and began licking her cheek after smelling her a few times.

She slowly opened her eyes and saw the puppy in front of her, her eyes quickly lighting up as a large smile stretched across her face.

"You got me a puppy!"

The only response Nick gave her was a laugh that was followed by a smile as she held the dog in her arms, happy when it took an instant liking to her.

Rochelle sat down on the bed, scratching it's ears while watching it snuggled close to her daughter.

"What are you going to call him?"

"Um..." Kaitlin thought for a moment before finally coming up with a name, "Kiwi."

Both her parents looked at one another in shock, "Kiwi?"

"Yea, cause I love Kiwi fruit and I already love this dog!" She said with a raised voice, letting the dog go and running after him when he went out the door to explore the house.

Running back into the room and grabbing Nick's waist, she hugged him tightly as he leaned down and hugged her back.

"Thank you daddy, I love her!"

"You're welcome sweetheart."

I hope you all liked it, thought of it while listening to music and figured I'd give you all another story.