Heathcliff rouses himself from bed with the familiar feeling of dread just as the moon is rising outside of his black spraypainted window. Not so long ago, he was up in time to greet each new sun for a jog around his suburban home. He had quit jogging when Beth threw him out.

He stumbles sleepily to the shower and and rubs his eyes while he waits for the ancient plumbing system to warm the shower in his cheap tub. "Oh God," he moans as his memory presents a replay of recent events. Still, he was alive, or whatever, and that meant he still had a chance to reverse this.

At least, he still gets to watch over his daughter.

He cleans himself up and looks at the now formidable pile of paperwork. He would take care of it tonight. Right after he saw Rachel. And Beth, obviously. He had enough blood in his system that he wasn't concerned about hurting them, so he had to take advantage of this opportunity. He grabs the phone, speed dial one. It takes four long rings before his ex-wife picks up. He can hear her laughing, no that's not laughing, that's giggling, he thinks, as she brings the speaker to her lips. "Hello?" She sounds happy.

"Oh, hello, Beth," he says in an innocent voice. "How are you?" He takes a photo of his daughter out of his dresser, concentrating on the details. The white bow on her pink dress is crooked. The gap in her smile from losing a tooth on an apple the day before picture day. The same thick, gold locks her mother shares.

"Cliff!" she exclaims, sounding concerned. "It's been two weeks since we've heard from you, where on earth have you been?"

"I've been sick, I didn't want to bother you. You sound well."

"Sick? What's wrong with you?" As his doctor, she was curious that he hadn't come to her, but as his ex-wife, she was skeptical, and for good reason. He lied to her. A lot. Also, she was changing the subject. Was there a man with her? He tried to listen for other voices the phone might catch, but he only heard Beth.

"Just had a really bad flu, Beth, nothing to bother you with. I'm feeling better today, though, and I was hoping I could see Rachel?" He held his hope out to her. This wasn't their arrangement.

"That's not our arrangement," she reminded him firmly. "If you'd like, we can schedule something in the next week. Let me get my calendar up..."

Heathcliff was not to be dissuaded so easily. She should know that. "Just for an hour. A trip to McDonalds. A Happy Meal. Come on, Beth. I...just need to see her." His thumb stroked the photograph gently.

"...alright. I wouldn't mind having some time to myself tonight. How soon can you be here?" She didn't say 'alone,' he noticed.

"I'll leave right now. Give me half an hour, forty if there's traffic, tops. Beth...thank you."

"Mmm-hmmm. I'll let her know you're coming. She'll be so glad to see you. She's been very worried about you, you know," she scolded him gently before they disconnected.

It's a nice night, and Heathcliff keeps the windows down in his sedan so he can feel the wind on his dead flesh, currently coursing with blood to mimic life. He arrives at the house he once called home, but he tried not to think of it like that anymore. He rings the doorbell. Beth opens the door, her hair up, make-up on, in a low-cut blue blouse. She looked terrific. That's not right, she looks ravishing, but he says "You look terrific." He pointedly did not ask who she was dressed up for.

"Thanks, Cliff. Wish I could say the same. You sure you're ok?"

"I'm fine."

"If you say so," she says, rolling her eyes. She turns away from the door to yell for their daughter, then turns back to him. "You don't mind watching her for a few hours, do you?"

"Of course not."

"Good. You have my number, you have your emergency key. I'll be back at eleven. She hasn't had dinner yet."

"Ok, we'll go get some food first. Thanks again."

"Mmm-hmmm," she replies slyly. She really is very pretty, and time has refined her beauty in Heathcliff's eyes, not diminished it. How did I manage to meet these women? he asks himself, thinking of Mariel. Just then his daughter appears from behind her mother, in a Powderpuff Girls T shirt and pink sweat pants. She smiles unabashedly at her father as she jumps into his arms. He grunts audibly, as if she were a great weight.

"Hi, Daddy!"

"My goodness, Sprout, you get bigger every time I see you! How are you?"

Heathcliff looks back at Beth, who smiles at him, and he nods and carries Rachel to his car, and they continue to chat along the way to the restaurant. They have a pleasant dinner, and he happily listens to her talk about her recent class field trip to the museum, about the turtle she found, about how she can do wheelies on her bike...

They get back to the house and he realizes it's been more than a year since he's been inside. A lot has changed. Some of the furniture is different, and it's all arranged differently. The TV is the same, though, and they sit together and watch a movie. She falls asleep laying next to him. He picks her up and takes her to her bedroom, which is exactly as he remembers it. She wakes for a moment, and asks in a mature voice he's more used to hearing from Beth than his ten year old, "Daddy, are you sick?" He considers his answer for a moment.

"Yes, Sprout. I am sick."

She was quiet for a moment, but somehow found the courage to continue. "Are you going to die?" she asked in a small voice.

Heathcliff actually chuckled. "No, Sprout. Daddy's not going to die for a long, long, long, long time. Don't you worry about that."

"Ok. I love you, Daddy."

He tucks his daughter and kisses her forehead. "I love you, too, Rachel. I'll see you again soon, I promise. Good night." He turns off the light as he leaves, a nightlight casting a comforting orange glow over her room. He waits on the couch for Beth to return, who is right on time at eleven, as always. They talk for a few minutes about topics of little importance, and she reminds him of the importance of scheduling his visits. He agrees, thanks her again, and leaves. He buries himself in his paperwork for the rest of the evening, replaying this perfect evening in his mind, and trying very hard not to think that Beth is obviously moving on, and wondering how serious it is, if Rachel would have a new father soon...