July 6th, 1992

Daniel swore that he hadn't gotten a wink of sleep for the past three months, and this night was no different. He'd had an exhausting day already, with Lucy's family coming over for her birthday. Lucy and Daniel were still living together, and Daniel had nearly forgotten the curse.

It had to be four-o-clock in the morning when Nevaeh burst into tears. Again. Daniel was cranky and tired, so he grumpily moved outside on the deck. It was extremely muggy out there, but he had more of a chance of getting sleep out here than he was in there.

Once he got outside, he leaned up against the rail and rubbed his tired eyes with his hands. He yawned hugely and continued to stare blankly at the road. There was something he was forgetting, and it bugged him. He couldn't think straight at all. He was way too tired.

Just then, he heard a long, high-pitched scream from inside the apartment.

Lucy's scream.

Daniel panicked. Why now? Why did this have to happen to him?

"Daniel!" she shrieked. "Daniel!"

"Lucy!" he screamed desperately, rushing inside. But he was already too late. The whole apartment reeked of smoke.

"No!" he yelled. "No, no, no!" He sank to his knees, feeling sick to his stomach. He buried his face in his hands and decided to just sit there and burn up in this fire.

But then he remembered.

Neveah.

He immediately flew to his feet. Was Neveah destined to die, too? He could hear her wailing in the other room. So she was still alive. Which meant there was still a chance to save her.

"Neveah!" he cried, trying to find his way through the thick smoke. Though it wasn't lethal to angels, it definatly would be to an infant. He had to find her.

He felt his way down the hallway and found the entrance to the bedroom. The wailing grew louder, and Daniel knew he was getting close. Then he accidentally bumped into the crib.

"Nevaeh," he whispered, picking her up and taking her in his arms. "It's going to be alright." Of that, he wasn't sure. Had she inhaled too much smoke? He couldn't be sure.

Of one thing he was sure, though. He had to get out of here. Now.

Daniel's wings immediately unfurled. He held Nevaeh to his chest and shot up, through the ceiling and into the humid night. He went up, up, up, above the clouds and as far away from the fire—from what used to be Lucinda—as he could get. Never once did Nevaeh stop crying, and Daniel felt tears well up in his own eyes.

She was gone. It would be another seventeen years…

Daniel held on to Nevaeh more tightly. He couldn't bear to lose her. She was all that he had left.