Beth was worried, Katie had been reserved since coming home. She didn't like being near John and Kayce for too long and definitely kicked off when she couldn't find Beth and Rip and was left with either John or Kayce.

She knew it was hurting her Dads feelings in particular but wasn't sure how to help the situation. She kept telling herself it would take time and that's what Rip told her but she wasn't sure how long.

Katie had woken up early and made her way to the living room before Beth had woken for the day.

She looked at the dining room table and couldn't see any food.

The Dutton adults had started to put Christmas gifts under the tree in the living room. Beth had made it clear to Katie that she wasn't to touch them until she was told.

She lay down on her belly in front of the gifts looking at the different papers and ribbons.

Beth woke feeling more rested than she had in weeks. She got ready for the day before going to Katie's room. She opened the door not finding Katie in her bed. She looked around the corner to where some toys were kept but Katie wasn't there either. She felt the bed which was now cold.

Beth took a deep breath before any bit of panic started to set in. She came down the hallway, noticing the silence. No one had made it to the dining table yet. Rip was well and truly at work but she was certain he hadn't mentioned he was taking Katie.

"Fuck." She whispered. She walked towards the door that lead to the porch in case Katie was outside. As she approached coming up towards the Christmas tree she saw Katie lying there looking at all the gifts.

"God dammit." She let out a sigh of relief. "Whatcha doing?"

Katie looked up at Beth. "Looking only."

"Up you get, it's cold."

Katie scrambled up from the cold floorboards. "Bacon and eggs?"

"Yeah we can do that but you need to get dressed."

Katie finished her last mouthful before standing on the chair in the dining room. "Can I play outside now?"

"You can sit your ass down." Beth said sternly.

Katie looked at Beth with a glint in her eye. "No."

"What did you say to me?"

"No, I don't want to sit."

"Katie, you sit down. Now. Where is this attitude even coming from."

"I'm going outside." She said jumping off the chair heading for the door.

Beth closed her eyes for a moment. "This kid."

John chuckled from where he was leaning against the door frame. "She is you Beth. I haven't seen her act like that in a long time."

She took a second to reply, realising he was right. Katie hadn't spoken back to her in weeks. "I know." She let Katie go outside before getting up to follow her.

Outside Katie had found her way to the pen stopping at all the puddles on the way. Beth watched as Katie climbed the fence leaning over before Rip lifted her up. She smiled watching as he threw her up in the air, catching her. She could hear her laugh from where she was standing.

"And what are you doing?"

"It's boring inside." Katie told Rip.

"Hm. Does your Mama know you are here?"

"I told her."

Rip scoffed. "You told her?"

Katie wrapped her arms around his neck. "Yeah Daddy."

"Well you can follow me this morning but you have to listen."

"Ok."

"No cowgirl. Really listen to me." He said putting her on the ground.

She nodded before trailing behind him. Beth watched as Katie followed Rip, jumping around him. She wrapped a jacket around herself, making her way to the pen as well.

"You go jump in the puddles, cowgirl." Rip said when he realised Beth was at the pen. Katie didn't need to be told twice, running off.

"She spoke back to me this morning." Beth said.

"Did you tell her off?"

"No."

"Why not?"

Beth reached out to touch his cheek. "Because she has not once spoken back to me or been cheeky since she left and came back."

"She can't be thinking that's ok behaviour." Rip said putting his foot down.

"It's not that she doesn't know that Rip. It's that she's comfortable enough to say what she wants and speak her mind to us again. We're suppose to be her safe place. We agreed on that."

They turned to see Katie pulling her boot off and tipping out the water where she sat.

"Ok. But there are always boundaries."

"It's one time."

Rip raised an eyebrow.

"Ok it's not the first but it's the first in a long time and I'm happy it's back." She said turning on her heel.

Rip shook his head as he watched Beth hold out her hand out to Katie who skipped beside her with only one shoe on.

"What happens on Christmas?" Katie asked as Beth put Katie's wet clothes in the washing basket.

"Well your Daddy wants to make it just us three and we can open some presents and then we will have breakfast. And then you can play and later in the day there will be a big dinner with everyone."

"Who?" She asked.

"Grandpa and Lynelle, Clara, Uncle Kayce and Aunt Monica and Tate. The cowboys if your Dad allows it."

Katie shrugged her shoulders neither here nor there about it.

"Do I still have to go away?"

"Away where?" Beth asked.

"To the daycare."

"Do you want to?" Beth asked curious.

"I don't know." She said looking up at Beth with her blue eyes.

"We can decide later." Beth told her.

Rip got home that evening to Katie running around the living room as Beth sat scrolling her phone. He easily scooped her up in one arm as he walked by.

Katie squealed as he lifted her up over his shoulder. "Dadda!"

"What you doing running in here?"

"I was playing."

"Well enough running before you hurt yourself." He told her putting her down. "Thought we had agreed to no running sweetheart." He directed to Beth.

"Oh she was fine." Beth said waving him off.

Rip sighed. "Ok Beth." He rubbed her shoulders, "Are you ok?"

She took a breath, putting her head back against the couch to look up at him. "I just want everything to go back to how it was."

"I will always do whatever I need to do for you both." He said sitting beside her. She lent in to his side as he wrapped an arm around her.

"Daddy?" Katie called out interrupting their comfortable silence.

"Yeah cowgirl?"

"Can we go outside?"

He turned his head to see that there was still some light outside. "We can go feed the horses." He said with a groan standing up.

Katie ran to grab her hat before jumping on the spot in front of Rip.

"You coming?" Rip asked Beth.

She grabbed her hat off the hook before they all went down to the barn.

Rip walked ahead with Katie who ran beside him. He let her out the feed in the wheelbarrow despite the length of time it took.

"All right. In you hop." Rip told her.

"Where?"

He didn't answer instead lifting her up to sit on top of the feed in the wheelbarrow. He grabbed the handle to push it out to where the horses were waiting. Beth lent against the fence post waiting for them listening to Katie's giggle.

"Ok baby, you put the feed in there for the horses." Rip told her helping out of the wheelbarrow.

He sat back with Beth and watched Katie slowly feed all the horses.

"I'm done!" Katie called out with her arms in the air. She ran towards them one hand holding her hat in to Beth's legs.

"You gotta put the wheelbarrow away now." Beth told her pointing her towards where Rip was holding it.

Rip let her stand in front of him with her hands on the handles letting her think that she was helping. It was a slow shuffle back to the barn. Rip chuckled when Katie sighed and brushed her hands on her legs. She looked up at Rip before holding her arms out, Rip without hesitation lifting her up on to his shoulders. She wrapped her arms under his chin holding his beard.

Rip wrapped one arm around Katie's legs to stop her from falling and his other around Beth's shoulders.

John had just sat down at the dining table when the family walked in.

"Dinner time kid." Beth said entering the dining room.

Rip lifted her off his shoulders putting her down in her usual seat. He plated her food before making his own plate.

Beth noted how quiet her father was, she glanced over at him and watched him watch her girl. "You can speak Daddy."

John looked at her chuckling. "I know honey."

"Daddy, talk to her."

Rip put his hand on Katie's head hearing the conversation around him, she looked up and smiled at him.

John cleared his throat. "What did you do today Katie?"

Katie looked up at Rip before looking across to John. Rip put a hand on her back to reassure her. "Daddy and I fed the horses."

"All by herself sir." Rip added.

"You'll be ranching with the cowboys on your own soon enough."

"Do I get to tell them what to do?" Katie asked making John laugh.

"Maybe one day." John told her.

"And they'll listen?" Katie asked.

"They listen to your Mama." Beth said with a smirk. "Especially the foreman." She winked at Rip.

"Everyone listens to you Mama." Katie groaned.

"You're right about that honey." John agreed.