Unknown

3.

Becky's fingers slowly ran through Nic's dirty blonde hair as he slept in her lap. He had gotten back from his fifth treatment and it was already starting to wear him out. Ellie walked in without a word and squeezed her way between her father and the couch. Almost instantly his arms wound around her even in his sleep.

"Da's not feeling good is he?" She asked quietly before the redhead shook her head. "Is he going to be okay?"

"I hope so baby girl." Becky's words were hesitant. She never wanted to lie to her daughter but she also never wanted to give her the full truth. He had a rare form of leukemia that would never truly go into remission and each time the treatment got harder and harder for his body to handle. Slowly his lips pressed to her stomach as her fingers gently moved along his scalp.

Becky watched quietly as Ellie's hand slipped beneath the neck of her fathers sweatshirt. When the small girls hand pressed to his chest the redhead knew exactly what she was doing. Ellie was counting his heartbeats, something she had been taught by her mother. Just like Becky she was calmed by counting the slow rhythm of Nic's heartbeat.

"Go to sleep Love you're fine." The redhead said softly as her fingers moved to run through her daughters hair. The young girl nodded before she pushed gently on her fathers chest getting him to turn onto his back. As she moved to rest her head along Nic's chest, his face buried into Becky's stomach.

Once she knew both of them were asleep she checked her phone only to find numerous texts from her friends. She sighed as she saw the numerous texts from Charlotte, Bayley and Sasha. Each text basically was the same thing, why did she leave and where did she go. Becky sighed before shoving her phone back into her pocket. There was no way she was explaining anything to anyone, at least not at this point. She sighed before carefully curling into Ellie. Slowly the redhead felt herself drift to sleep.

"Mumma." The blondes voice was quiet as she carefully shook her mothers shoulder. "Mumma wake up." As the redheads eyes fluttered open they landed on her daughters bright blue irises.

"Whats up El?" Slowly the young girl moved to curl into her still tired mother.

"Daddy's making dinner. He wanted me to wake you up." Becky's nose slowly buried into her daughters hair.

"He can wake us up when it's ready." Ellie nodded before both women fell asleep. Nearly an hour later Nic found the two in the exact same position. Slowly he knelt down in front of the two before moving a piece of hair out of Becky's face. "Leave me be Nic." She said as she wiggled away from his soft touch. He chuckled softly before his hand ran along Ellie's back.

"Let me sleep Da." He shook his head. The two were the same person when it came to sleep. Neither one could be woken up without a fight.

"Don't you want some fried rice?" He said into the young girls ear before she immediately shot up and was at the table without a word. The second Ellie left her mothers arms Becky reached out and grabbed Nic before pulling him onto the couch. "Becca..." When her face buried into his chest his arms wound around her. "You need to eat." She shook her head.

"I need sleep Nic." She commented.

"You have all night to do that Love." She sighed before her head slowly moved away from his chest. When her head tilted his lips connected with hers. "You finally awake sleeping beauty?" She shook her head before her lips pressed to his once more.

"How are you feeling?" He shrugged.

"Nauseous and ready to pass out but that's the norm." She shook her head as her arms wound around him. "I'm not going back to sleep Baba."

"Why?" He chuckled softly before he adjusted carefully and stood with her in his arms.

"Because we all need to eat." He commented before carrying her to the table.

"I thought Ma was bringing food.." He shook his head.

"Tomorrow Becca." She nodded in understanding as he set her down and moved into his seat. The three then slowly began to eat in silence.

"So how's homeschooling with Dad going?" Becky asked after a few minutes. Nic had gone to school to be a teacher but never finished getting his degree as he stopped going to school to take care of Ellie.

"I don't like it." Both of their eyes flicked towards Ellie. "He gives me too much homework." He chuckled.

"I give you a deadline you wait till the last second to finish it all. I could make it all due the next morning.." Her eyes went wide.

"Please don't do that." He chuckled before he shook his head.

"You know I won't let him El." Becky commented earning a smile from the young girl. "So what's Ma bringing tomorrow?"

"Soup." Ellie commented before the redheads eyes flicked to Nic and his plate. When she noticed that he hadn't eaten anything she knew exactly what her mother was bringing soup.

"Good. I can't wait." Becky commented before the three went back to their comfortable silence. Once the two women were done eating Nic grabbed the plates before heading into the kitchen. Ellie went towards the couch while the redhead quietly walked into the kitchen. "You alright Nic?"

"Just don't feel like throwing up again." She sighed before her arms wound around him. "Don't feel sorry for me. This is the first time in a few years and they caught it early. It'll be over just as quickly as it started."

"I hope so. I hate seeing you like this." His lips pressed to the top of her head as his arms encased her smaller frame.

"I'm alright Becca." He said quietly before she shook her head.

"No you're not, Aussie. Don't lie to me."