Tate ran up to Rip when he saw Katie in his arms. "She's back! Can we play?"
"I think she's going to be sleeping for a while yet Buddy." Rip told him.
Monica directed Tate's shoulders away and smiled sadly at Beth and Rip as they went upstairs. Beth stood at the door of her old room before moving further down the hall to one of the guest rooms. Rip said nothing. He put Katie down on the bed and covered her with a blanket, brushing her hair away.
Rip quietly moved an armchair to be by the bedside to he could sit and watch her. Beth took a shaky breath next to him before she sat on his knee.
"We've got her Beth. She's right here."
Beth turned and cried in to his shoulders. "My baby. What did they do to her."
Rip held her, nothing he could say was going to make it better. John walked past and watched them there, thinking how his wife would be furious if she knew what pain he had caused this family over the years.
"I'm going for a smoke." Beth said standing up and leaving the room. Outside she lit her cigarette and puffed away on the porch. She heard the door open and close and saw John come out, he hadn't noticed her but she saw him crying. She watched him as she finished her cigarette and went back inside. She could hear noise coming from the room where the door was now ajar.
"Hi cowgirl, it's just Daddy."
"Dadda. Ow." Beth heard Katie. She picked up her pace and opened the door carefully to not startle her.
"Careful Katie." Rip told her.
"Hi baby. You're awake."
"Mama it hurts." Katie reached out her arms, Beth had never been so happy to have Katie in them.
"Shhh it's ok. You're ok now." Beth said moving around the room smoothing Katie's hair down. Rip knew she was saying it just as much for Katie as herself.
"Beth, I'll go get some clothes for her." Rip got up and left the two of them.
Beth had managed to get Katie's dress off by the time Rip came back with one of Beth's old t-shirts for Katie. They took her in to the bathroom unsure of how she would go considering she never liked baths and where she had just been found.
Rip ran the bath and Beth tried to put Katie in it. She wrapped her legs around Beth tighter and arms squeezed Beth's neck, making Beth falter.
"It's all right." Rip encouraged her. Beth tried to loosen Katie's grip to no avail.
"I've got an idea Beth." Rip said. He grabbed a towel off the rail wrapping it around Katie. "Come outside."
Rip walked ahead, grabbing Lloyd's attention from the pen. "You both stay here." He told them indicating to the chair on the porch.
Lloyd came over, "how is she going?"
"Neither are great to be honest. I need you to help me pump the trough there."
Lloyd asked no questions but helped Rip with the equipment to pump the water out.
John watched from the kitchen before going to talk to Beth. "Beth, I want you to know I didn't mean for this to happen. I thought she would be safe there."
"I don't blame you. They wanted to hurt me and knew how to do it." Beth said wrapping the towel around Katie tighter.
They watched as Rip cleaned the trough before pumping more water in to it and heating it up. He walked inside past them and came out with some bubbles from the bathroom adding them to the trough and some toys.
Beth stood with Katie and went down to the trough.
"Figured she use to like playing in this, it won't be any different now and it's clean for a bath."
Beth felt full of anger and fear. Angry that someone would hurt Katie and fearful of how they were going to get past it. She repositioned Katie and put her in the water slowly. They noticed her eyes darting around looking everywhere like someone was going to jump out.
"Good girl." Beth said letting go of her. As soon as Beth let go Katie jumped up.
"All right. We're here." Beth told her. Rip had his head in his hands on the side of the trough, exhausted. Katie pulled Beth's arms in to the water, Beth had her arms now wet as she gently moved the water around Katie.
"Can you get a jug baby?" She asked Rip. He moved without speaking and returned with a plastic jug.
Beth scooped the water in to it and tilted Katie's head back pouring the water through her hair to remove the dirt. She never closed her eyes, now no longer farting around but holding Beth's gaze full of fear. As the water cooled down Beth lifted her out and Rip wrapped a fresh towel around her gently before taking her inside. Rip checked over all of Katie's cuts and put bandaids on the ones necessary as Beth dried her hair and dressed her. Beth gently de-tangled her hair now using a spray she had found made it less painful for Katie and combed it back, leaving it to air-dry.
Kayce knocked on the door. "She needs to eat" he said waving a bowl of fruit. The family got up, Rip carrying Katie and passed Kayce, Beth touched his arm to say thank you as she passed him.
She met them both at the kitchen counter, Rip talking to her in his low voice and Katie occasionally answering back. Beth noticed she was now calling Rip 'Dadda' occasionally. She sat on the stool next to them both and watched, Rip reached over and put a hand on her knee. Beth lent forward putting her head on his arm.
"She is calling you Dadda now hey."
"Just as good as being her Daddy."
"I'm done." Katie said showing a half finished bowl of fruit. Normally Rip would tell her to eat more but he knew it wasn't the right time.
"I think we should all get some air." Rip said putting Katie down on the ground, she reached her hand out for Rip's instantly who obliged. The trio went out to the grass hills and sat down. The pair watched as Katie walked around them never venturing too far away barefoot.
"Do we talk to her about what happened?" Beth asked. "I don't know what to do"
"It might help her get over it. Who knows what damage it's done Beth." Katie continued to walk on the grass nearby before approaching them both and sitting down. Beth looked at Rip to start the conversation.
"Cowgirl, we want to talk to you about what happened."
She looked at the both before shaking her head.
"Katie, honey, you're safe with Daddy and me. But I want to know if they hurt you."
"The man hit me. But I was tough Mama, a big bear like you."
Beth looked down not wanting Katie to see her upset. Katie moved closer to where Beth was lying on the grass, reaching out for her face like they do to Katie where she's upset and moved her hair.
"Why you sad Mama?"
"I think she's just happy you're ok, cowgirl"
"I've really messed up." Beth said. Rip and Katie looked at each other confused.
"Beth it's going to be ok." Rip tried.
Katie wrapped her small arms around Beth's neck, squishing her face in to the side of Beth's. She wrapped her arms around Katie's waist holding her.
"This fucking ranch. Going to be the death of us all." Beth said.
Rip laughed. "Not a fucking chance. We will all be away from here before I let that happen."
Beth turned to look at Rip. "Thought you were going to die here."
"Not if it meant you were both going to be hurt." Rip said turning away from them.
Beth felt cold water on her back before Katie jumped up. "It's raining!" She looked up.
Rip and Beth looked around realising someone had turned the sprinklers on. "Not rain cowgirl, it's the sprinklers."
Rip pointed them out to her as they moved across the field. Katie looked at the spaced out sprinklers. Beth and Rip didn't have them up at the cabin and never had been down at the field when they had been on with her.
Rip stood up holding his hand out to Katie who took it.
"Where we going Daddy?"
"Through the water!"
"She has just had a bath." Beth said looking at him.
"Quick Katie, run!" Rip held her hand running away from Beth. She ran as fast as her legs would take her, Rip taking smaller steps beside her. He ran to the nearest sprinkler at a distance where the spray wouldn't hurt when it hit them. He crouched down next to her as she threw her hands in the air laughing. Any annoyance Beth held towards Rip in that moment instantly went watching them together.
Rip laughed along side her. Katie ran between the sprinklers, jumping over the heads before they sprayed her. Rip kept an eye on her and perked up as she ran at him with her arms out. He caught her effortlessly and threw her up in the air and catching her in his arms. He wiped the hair out of her face before putting her down on the ground. She lay on the grass looking up at the sky with Rip.
"I like this Dadda."
"Me too darlin'."
Katie got up looking for Beth and saw that she hadn't moved but was watching them. She ran towards Beth falling on top of her, soaking wet and covered in grass.
"Oomph!" Beth let out, "how's my girl?"
"Wanna play Mama? It's fun."
"All right." Beth said patting her back. "Up you get." Katie was quick to spring off Beth digging her knee in to Beth's stomach.
Katie waited until Beth was standing before reaching for her hand. "I'll show you Mama."
Beth nodded, she couldn't believe how desire everything that she had been through the kid was still as gentle as ever.
Beth spun Katie around under the sprinklers laughing and the three chased after each other until Katie's teeth started to chatter and the sun started to set.
The three headed in to the house where the fire was already going. Beth and Katie sat on the couch while Rip grabbed more towels for them all to dry off.
"You all look better." John commented from an armchair.
Beth nodded with a small smile.