Heather was sitting on the couch infront of the television. Gracie was sitting on the floor in front of her letting Heather brush out her long red curls. Gracie was happily reloading her cap gun the entire time and talking at a hundred miles an hour about Burt. Heather couldn't decide if she liked that or not.

"And then Mr. Burt said he'd take me out later today and show me how to shoot" She smiled.

"That's really nice sweetie" Heather smiled kissing the top of her head.

"I really really like him mommy" Heather had a hair pin between her teeth now pulling back Gracies hair so her reply was muffled.

"Mommy?" Gracie almost turned around and Heather caught her shoulders with a smile turning her back around she made a what noise.

"Can we just stay here? Why can't Mr. Burt be my daddy? He likes me" Heather sighed and set the brush aside Gracies hair was done pulled into a ponytail like her mothers. She turned Gracie to face her.

"Well sweetheart...it's just not that easy"

"Why Mama? Doesn't Mr. Burt love us?" Heather opened her mouth but didn't get to say anything because a voice from behind her answered for her.

"Of course I do Gracie" He moved around the couch and sat down beside Heather lifting Gracie onto his lap.

"And you both can stay here as long as you want too" He told her and she smiled hugging him close.

Heather rolled her eyes and stood leaving them alone in the living room. He sat Gracie on the couch.

"I'll be right back sweetie...I'm just going to go check on your mom"

He found her in the room she shared with Gracie. She was making the bed practically slamming the blankets and pillows around on the bed. He came up behind her placing his hands on her shoulders she jumped and spun away from him.

"Don't...just...don't" She went to the other side of the bed but it was too late he saw the tears she was holding back.

"What's wrong?" He went around to the other side of the bed.

"We shouldn't have came here" She mumbled to herself shaking her head.

"Why? What did I do wrong? I'm trying really I am"

"I know that...but you're telling her stuff that you aren't even sure about Burt...it's just so like you...you don't care about anyone but yourself..."

"That's not true..." He grabbed her arms getting her to look at him.

"I love Gracie...I LOVE..." He didn't finish his sentence and she shook her head.

"I don't know if you noticed it or not but...Gracie is becoming quite fond of you"

"Isn't that a good thing? She's my daughter" He was confused.

"No...I don't want her to love you" Heather told him.

"WHAT WHY!"

"Because you'll just hurt her...She'll love you and you'll hurt her...just like you did me" She started to cry now. He never saw Heather cry before all this he wasn't prepared.

"Heather...I never meant to hurt you" she sighed and wiped her eyes.

"I know...and I'm glad Gracie loves you...I wanted you to meet her I just...don't want her to get her hopes up about this whole family thing"

"Why?"

"Because it can't work between us...you know that" She looked at him and he stepped closer

"I don't know anything" He said it gruffly and he put his hand on her waiste and pulled her close.

"Burt...cut it out" She tried to push at his chest but found him unmovable.

"This isn't fair. You sweep in here after six years and bring Gracie you know I can't not love her and you...geez Heather...I don't even know how I'm supposed to feel about you"

"You're not supposed to feel anything about me...We just don't work" She shook her head.

"Maybe we can. Would it be the worse thing ever if we...were a family? That's what you always wanted"

"We don't work Burt...you and I we tried before and we don't work I don't want to put Gracie through any of that" She moved away from him and he let her go putting his hands on his hips and dropping his head.

"I just...don't think I can take losing you again" He said honestly.

"Burt..."She was cut off by the loud smashing of the Graboid breaking through the basement the house shook and she almost toppled over but Burt caught her in his arms steadying her before rushing to the stairs.

"MOMMY!" Gracie passed Burt coming to Heather who grabbed her and lifted her into her arms.

"Gracie...it's alright.."She held Gracie close and hesitated a second before going to the door of the bedroom.

"Burt?" She called out and he didn't answer. She started for the basement steps the old instincts of helping her husband kicking in but a tiny voice stopped her.

"Mommy, I'm scared" She stopped and looked at Gracie before turning and heading to Burts room.

She went through the door and was surprised it looked the same. She set Gracie down.

"Alright, I'm going to go check on Burt...You stay here and stay on the bed I promise...I'm coming right back" She kissed Gracie on the forehead and ran out of the room.

She reached the basement steps she could hear stuff smashing and breaking and she hesitated a second. It was instinct to want to help Burt but she had a baby now. It wasn't just her and Burt looking out for one another somebody had to make it back to take care of Gracie.

She went down the steps and turned the basement was almost completely destroyed but she didn't see the creature anywhere or Burt.

"Burt?" Something moved and she grabbed a gun that was laying on the floor spinning towards it.

"Hey, It's me...it's alright don't blow my head off" Burt came towards her.

"Oh, Thank God...where did it go?" She looked around and he brushed off his pants which were covered in dust.

"I don't know...it ate the fridge I keep down here and left...but we have to get moving now since my barrier doesn't hold up" He went to the gun wall and began throwing things into a bag.

"Burt...where did they all come from?"

"I don't know...after the last attack when the suckers could fly we killed all of them but one...El Blanco...he was an albino so science said that it couldn't breed or mutate for that matter...but none of the four outside are him which means they can breed and mutate"

"Wait...mutate? what does that mean?"

"Well, After a few hours they bust open...then they have legs and they no longer hunt by sound vibrations but heat...body heat and stuff like that" He went to another wall grabbing other stuff for the bag.

"Then, If we don't kill them they get wings and they fly still using heat seeking to hunt...after that they die and an egg is left from the egg comes...A graboid...I suppose the last time we killed all the flying ones...one could have dropped the eggs and some graboids survived" He shook his head and she simply stood watching him.

"Ok...so what do we do?"

"We're going to get out of here that's what" She was shocked.

"Really?"

"Yeah...why do you have a problem with that?" She shook her head.

"I just...never thought I'd see you give up so easy"

"Things are different...like it or not...I'm a father now and I have a little girl to watch out for...Nothing else matter but my wife and my child...if running is the only way to keep you safe we'll run"

She didn't say anything just stood and watched him finish grabbing his things. It was the first time in six years she had been called anybodys wife. True she was since she never got that divorce but she was so certain he'd never see her that way again.

"Come on" He grabbed the bag he had packed and started for the steps taking her arm and pushing her in front of him.

"I have to get Gracie..." She told him when they reached the top of the steps and he looked at her.

"Yeah, I know that...where is she?" She pointed

"In our room" He nodded and handed her the bag.

"Go get in the truck and start it...I'll get her and be there" She hesitated a second.

"I...think maybe..."He interrupted her.

"HEATHER! I said I'll get her...I promise we'll be out in a second..." She nodded and went for the door. praying he wouldn't let her down.

Burt opened the door to find Gracie was sitting on the bed she was crying her little blue eyes out. She looked up and reached for him and he crossed the room in two steps lifting her easily.

"Hey, Gracie...listen we're going to go out for awhile"

"Where's my mommy?" She was devastated.

"She's in the car...waiting for us"

There was another crash and the house shook again. He almost fell but managed not too. Gracie screamed and held on tighter.

"Mr Burt...I don't like it here anymore" She cried and he couldn't help but smile.

"You know what Gracie...neither do I" He raced for the door and had just gotten off the outside steps when Heather met him.

"I told you to stay in the car" He told her as she ran beside him.

"I was worried" He put Gracie in the car and ran around to get behind the wheel Heather slid in behind Gracie.

"Strap her in good" He told Heather before putting the truck in drive and flooring the gas pedal.