"Hey Rip!" Walker yelled out. Rip turned to see Walker jogging towards him, he stopped and waited for him to catch up.

"What do you want Walker?"

"I've got a gig this weekend at a music festival in Livingston, haven't agreed to it yet in-case I'm needed here."

"I'll let you know tomorrow Walker." Rip told him before getting in the truck to go home.

He arrived home to Katie help Beth mix hamburgers in a bowl.

"I'll help you Katie." Beth could be heard saying as he got in the door.

"No thanks. I got it." Katie replied.

"Well at least she's using her manners." Rip said greeting Beth with a passionate kiss.

"Mmm good day I take it?"

"Nope. Just glad to come home to you and the munchkin." Rip said throwing Katie in the air and catching her.

"I'm busy Daddy." Katie told him trying to reach the wooden spoon.

"Oh too busy for your old Dad now. I see." Rip said smiling. "More like just a Mama's girl." He muttered. Beth hit him on the arm.

"Don't get jealous."

"So Walker is playing some music festival in Livingston this weekend. Wanna go?" Rip asked Beth.

"You're letting him have a day off?" Beth asked raising an eyebrow. Rip shrugged.

"Only if we go."

"We need someone to watch her then." Beth said.

"I was thinking we could all go?" Rip thought it would be fun for all of them given the past few weeks. He would have to check with Walker what kind of festival it was first. Beth nodded putting dinner on the table.

"I'll take that as a yes then Beth."

"You do that baby."

"Aren't you too big to be a baby Daddy?" Katie asked.

Rip laughed, "I suppose so but that's what your Mama calls me."

"Me too. I'm big too" Katie responded to him, confused as to what was so funny.

"You'll always be my baby, but your Daddy gets a touch of the green eyed monster sometimes." Beth said, looking at Rip.

"Do you need Grandpa to check under your bed for monsters then?" Katie asked innocently. Beth stifled her laugh.

"No thanks cowgirl, your Mama is scary enough for them to leave me alone." Rip told her. Katie had lost interest by this point now too busy eating.

"I'm going to have a shower." Beth announced after they had cleaned up after dinner.

"Me too." Katie said. Rip and Beth looked at each other surprised before looking at Katie. Bath time continued to be a battle.

"All right then. Let's go." Beth said directing Katie to the stairs. She didn't think Katie was old enough to stay in there by herself just yet but knew better than to stay in her own clothes. They had some of her bath toys in the shower that she loved to collect the water in and then throw at the screen watching the droplets roll off the glass. Beth let the water warm up before turning to Katie.

"Right. Arms up!" Beth helped her get out of her dirty play clothes before they got in to the shower. Beth still couldn't tolerate a shower that was too hot on her burnt skin.

"Does it hurt Mama?" Katie asked

"Does what hurt?"

"Your back." Katie said pointing. Beth shook her head, not wanting to tell her that the hot water would sting it occasionally and certain movements would make it feel like the scars were opening up.

"No honey." Beth got out of the shower before wrapping Katie in her fluffy duck towel that she got for her birthday. Katie put on her pyjamas before going downstairs to find Rip.

"Wanna play blocks?" Katie asked pushing the box of building blocks in front of Rip. He checked the time seeing how much longer they had before it was her bedtime. He got off the couch sliding on to the floor where Katie tipped the box open.

"Woah who made that mess." Beth asked coming down the stairs. Katie looked up at Beth unsure if she was in trouble or not. Beth kept looking between Katie and Rip one eyebrow raised. Rip hadn't looked up from the truck he was building.

"I.. uh…" Katie's bottom lip dropped, tears threatening to fall. Beth came down the rest of the stairs.

"It's fine Katie. Don't cry, I just asked a question. You are not in trouble."

"You wanna play then?" Katie asked.

"You two play, I'll watch." Beth sat down on the couch watching Rip build some extravagant truck and Katie build a house with some pointers from Rip. He glanced up at Beth smiling before glancing at the clock.

"It's time for bed cowgirl." Rip put his truck in the box.

"Already!" Katie asked surprised.

"Yep. Blocks in the box and then upstairs for you." Rip told her. "I'll meet you up there for a story and Mama will come and say goodnight." Katie begrudgingly put the blocks away before slowly climbing the stairs avoiding the inevitable.

"If you don't move your bum, you won't get a story tonight." Rip told her before hearing her feet climb the last few steps quickly.

"That got her moving." Beth said.

"Works every time. I'll meet you in bed darlin'." Rip went up the stairs to read a book to Katie.

"She asleep?" Beth asked as Rip climbed in to bed.

"Yeah. Should sleep the night." Rip said.

"Good. I'm glad." Beth turned to face Rip. "Do you think we are good parents?"

"What brought this on Beth?"

"Just everything I love dies. She's still here and so are you but God you both keep getting hurt. Somehow I keep getting her caught in harm's way."

"Darlin'. That is not true. We're all gonna die one day but not any time soon." Rip didn't know where this conversation was going. "I thought you wanted a kid."

"Rip I love that kid with everything in me. Watching her get hurt and cry during the nights after being so traumatised is fucking painful. She's four and see more trauma than any other kid."

"Maybe so. But she is strong because she's got you watching her back."

Beth sniffed. "You're not your mother darlin'. Rip pulled her close and kissed her head.