Chapter Fourteen

"This is your room." Sienna told Beth as she pushed the door open to the fourth bedroom on the second floor of the home. The tour had been fairly quick which Beth appreciated given her limited energy.

"It's very lovely." Beth said, she looked at the room; it was a decent size with a single bed, tall boy with cream walls and ceiling and white curtains. It wasn't much but it was perfect as it was her space. She had to admit she felt a little overwhelmed by having a room with a door. It had been over three years since she had such a luxury.

"Daddy could paint the walls another colour, if you don't like it." Mia told her, Beth shook her head.

"No this is good." Beth said sitting down on the bed. The bedding felt plump and soft under her. The sheets and doona cover were buttery soft to the touch and she'd thought the hospital bedding had been nice. She was amazed at how the factories had deprived her senses to thing that had been ordinary for years to her. Everything seemed better even though it was exactly the same. She also knew she didn't need anything more than what she had.

"We put food and water under the bed." Mia said, Beth would've leaned over the check but she already felt a little woozy from the exertion of walking around. The girls' room was beautiful and well lived in as it had books, toys, extra pillows and art on the walls. Mike had definitely let his female friends loose with his credit cards but the girls deserved it.

"I appreciate that but we should probably keep the food in the kitchen from now on." Beth said as kindly as she could. She knew Mike struggled to understand the anxiety attached to food. She however didn't. Part of her truly appreciated it, and another side of her baulked at the idea of having to take it back downstairs. But she had to show the girls it was ok. To let go of their ingrained survival behaviours like stashing food.

"But what if we need it?" Mia asked her.

"Well, it'll be in the kitchen. We talked about how things were different now, we need to start getting back into the old habits." Beth said, she wondered if Mia even remembered what that was like given she was so young when the plague hit.

"But we should always be prepared." Mia argued, Beth nodded slowly as Christine had taught the girls that nothing should go to waste and to ration everything as there would be a day one would need it.

"Yes, true but I think you and Sienna have enough in your room that I don't need to worry about stocking in my room." Beth said, Mia smiled looking pleased that she had done a good job. Beth made a mental note to slowly work on getting the food back to the kitchen. She wondered how bare the pantry was but pushed the thought away.

"Did you get your medicine?" Sienna asked her.

"Yeah, it's downstairs." Beth told her.

"Daddy doesn't have it does he?" Sienna asked, Beth frowned at the question.

"No, why would-" she started but Sienna cut her off.

"I don't want him using it like the guards. He shouldn't control you." Sienna said putting her foot down, Beth's heart ached as she realised why Sienna had been evil eyeing her father. Beth couldn't blame her misinterpretation as Sienna had watched men barter with Beth, control Beth's actions via food and drugs.

"Sienna, your father is not like that." Beth told her firmly.

"You don't know that." Sienna argued softly, it was clear Sienna wanted to believe Beth but was afraid of being proved wrong.

"I know it's been a long time since you've been around your father but he's a good man." Beth told her.

"He abandoned us." Sienna said softly with a hurt expression. Mia had grown more quiet as she sat on the bed looking small and trying to be unobtrusive.

"No, he lost you girls, your brother and Mom in the mess the world became. He searched very hard for you, he's just as upset and hurt as you are that he couldn't find you and Mom sooner. Life was just as unfair to him as it was to us. But he's trying hard to make a home here for you and Mia." Beth said correcting Sienna in the hopes to change whatever the little girl was thinking and to help Mia as well.

"Maybe, but he'll leave." Sienna said as if it were a promise.

"You don't know that for sure and from what I understand his position a permanent posting in St Louis." Beth argued, she was careful with her choice of words as she didn't want to be wrong. But the way Mike spoke he was stationed in St Louis and he didn't mention being deployed. She also knew if he was going to leave in the near future he'd be decent enough to tell her. At least she assumed so.

"It's what he does." Sienna told her.

"People change all the time, sometimes for the better. We just have to give them the chance to show us." Beth told her.

"I still don't want him to have your meds." Sienna argued.

"That will never be an issue, they are mine to control but I'm still not 60% yet which means you're going to have to let him help me. You have to trust that he's not like the guards." Beth said to her, she needed Sienna to learn Mike wasn't like the guards. That all men weren't like those in the factories either. They'd lived a sheltered world only seeing the worst of humanity. Strong men in their world abused the power given to them.

"Ok." Sienna conceded.

Mike stood just out of sight from the door but he heard every word. It tore at him how little Sienna didn't trust him but also the life Beth had to live to survive herself in order to protect his girls. He felt demoralised by it as his job was protect the country and it's people. Yet somehow they'd failed those in the factories. He knew they weren't entirely responsible but he felt it churn within him as he could have chosen to leave the ship as Tex suggested. He couldn't tried to find Christine and the kids over a year ago. Maybe he could have saved Christine, but it was too late to dwell on what he couldn't change.

But in that mess of emotions he felt, he did have to admire Beth's strength to see past his gender and help him with the girls. To advocate for him when she didn't have to. It showed how much she cared for his girls,

"Don't judge me." he told Kaito as he picked up a sock monkey and placed it in the baby's hands. Kaito latched onto the toy but a second later threw it away as his internal clock said it was nearly time for his dinner. "Ok, I'll get your dinner." he said as he moved to start slowly warming up dinner before he went to making up Kaito's formula.

He heard the footfalls of Mia as his youngest daughter raced down the stairs. "It's time to feed Kaito." she told him with a small smile.

"Do you want to do the honours?" he asked her, her eyes went wide at the responsibility but nodded. He tilted his head at the lounge, "Go sit down, I'll bring him over." he told her, Mia did as she was told and he looked up the stairs to see Sienna and Beth slowly making their way down. Beth made it halfway when she seemed to lose steam. Her face went pale as she wavered, Mike thought she was about to collapse but she steadied herself.

Beth blew out a breath and slowly lowered herself down on the step as she felt woozy and drained. "Beth?" Sienna asked concerned.

"I'm ok, just need a moment." Beth assured her with a smile as she leaned against one of the balusters.

"Sienna, help me out." Mike said as he lifted Kaito from his bouncy chair in his arms.

"But-" Sienna started but Beth cut her off.

"Go, it's ok." Beth assured Sienna.

"Grab Kaito's dinner for me and help Mia." he said to Sienna, as he got Kaito comfortable in Mia's arms with a pillow underneath for support. Kaito didn't look to pleased but Mike figured it more about his dinner being delayed. Sienna grabbed the bottle of made up formula and came over the lounge. Mike helped Mia get the basics of holding the bottle for Kaito, the baby boy latched on and starting guzzling his dinner.

Granted Mia didn't need help as feeding Kaito was easy but Sienna complied to his request even though she looked reluctant. She sat on the lounge next to her sister, Mike rose to his feet and moved to Beth. She hadn't moved but the colour had returned to her face. She looked to him, he didn't know why but he could feel her exhaustion and pain. Her annoyance at being weak, he didn't offer her comfort or pity. Instead he held out his hand in offer of assistance.

Beth looked at his hand, she pushed back her own mental trappings of what it meant to take his hand. She reminded herself this wasn't some assertion of power or control but a genuine offer of help. She also knew for Sienna to trust Mike; Beth would have to show trust in Mike. She knew she wasn't the be all and end of making Sienna remember her father was a good man but it would help. So she swallowed her insecurities and took his hand, he helped pull her to her feet.

"I think we should have dinner in the living room." Mike commented casually to Beth as he helped her down the stairs. He hadn't missed how tense her posture was as they moved.

"Sounds good to me." Beth replied with a wan smile and apologetic eyes. He didn't take offence at her body language that basically told him to let go as he knew it wasn't about him personally but a reflex of years of being in the factory. The fact she still allowed him to help her and didn't snap away spoke volumes to her own strength and trust in him. Something he strangely treasured in that moment.