AU Future fic; I thought I'd try to write something I've never written before. The title is inspired by the song "You'll Be In My Heart" by Phil Collins. Read, review, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi!

Chapter One

"'And Cinderella and Prince Charming lived happily ever after. The end'," Eli read from the story. He was reading from a book of fairy tales and, tonight, his daughter asked for him to read the traditional story, Cinderella.

"Can you read it again?" the six-year-old asked from under her covers.

He grinned at her enthusiasm, but shook his head.

"Maybe tomorrow," he said, standing up from the edge of the bed and putting the book back on the nightstand.

"But tomorrow I may want you to read Snow White," Scout Goldsworthy mentioned.

Eli chuckled and looked down at the girl with pale skin, green eyes, and the shoulder-length, straight black hair.

"Well, we'll have to see."

"Okay," she accepted, obviously too tired from another day of first grade to bother arguing.

Eli pulled the purple blankets so they were securing Scout in their warmth as she held on to the blue plush hippo in her arms. He reached over to the lamp on her nightstand to act as her nightlight.

"Goodnight," he told her before giving her a kiss on her head. "Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite."

When Scout grinned a bit at the usual nighttime term, Eli saw not only Scout's grin, but her mother's grin . . . Julia's grin.

"I love you, Daddy," she told him.

"I love you too, Scout. Sweet dreams."

He walked towards the door and turned out the light before seeing Scout close her eyes and try to sleep. He quietly closed the door behind her and walked to his room. It was only eight-thirty, but he had a long day and he craved sleep.

Eli couldn't help but be proud of his daughter. She was being so strong since her mother left them three months ago. As he stripped to his boxers and pulled on a black t-shirt, he thought of how she had been marching on through the days. She did shed tears, but after she cried, she and Eli always talked about the good times they had with Julia from days at the beach, birthdays, and other family events. He grinned at his little girl's strength as he climbed onto the right side of the bed.

Sleeping in this bed was still painful at times. He and Julia had shared that bed for seven years since they got married. For the longest time, he didn't sleep in the bedroom at all because the ghosts of many memories haunted it. For the first week or two after the accident, Scout begged for her father to stay with her, so that's where he slept at first. But once school started up again, she started sleeping by herself in her room.

Eli then slept on the couch for a week, then he slept on the floor of his and Julia's room for three days after that, and then he was finally able to slumber in the bed again. However, he never touched Julia's side. He kept to the right hemisphere of the mattress, not wanting the area where she slept to be disturbed.

There were a few nights though that Scout would come crawling into his arms whether it was on the couch, floor, or in his bed because of horrible nightmares. They were all the same since that night in July . . . they were all flashbacks. Memories of that night always stalked her dreams.

She saw her mother at the wheel of the car while she sat in the backseat. They were on their way home from the park when a speeding car ran a red light and hit their car.

Julia was trying to get control as Scout screamed, but it was no use. The car skidded into the front of another lane and more collisions occurred, leaving the car in complete devastation. Unfortunately, one of the other cars hit the driver's side of the Goldsworthy's car.

Eight people were harmed that day and there was one fatality. Scout had a concussion and a broken wrist . . . but Julia's injuries were extreme and she died in the destroyed automobile. Her injuries were serious and nothing could've been done to save her even if paramedics have gotten there sooner.

Since that day, Scout has awoken from that nightmare three times a week and Eli hated it. She already had to live that terrible experience once and going through it again while she tried to sleep was simply cruel. He now hoped that she wouldn't have that dream tonight, but it had been a couple of days so she was due to have one any day now.

He now lied on and turned out the lamp. He turned over on his side and stared at Julia's side of the bed through the darkness.

"Goodnight Jul. I love you."

He closed his eyes and fell into yet another uneasy sleep like he had done so many times over the last three months. He was certain that he was only asleep for a maximum of three hours when . . .

"Daddy," a small voice said as a small hand placed itself on his arm. He turned over on his side and opened his eyes. He reached for the lamp and turned it on to send a dim glow around the room. Scout was standing by the bed, her eyes filled with tears and she held her stuffed blue hippo.

"Another bad dream?" he guessed, heartbroken to see his little girl so sad.

She nodded and a tear rolled down her face.

"Come here," he said, holding out his arms for her.

She crawled into his arms and under the blankets. He scooted over so she wasn't lying on the edge of the bed. He kept the lamp on to serve the purpose as a nightlight for his little girl . . . his and Julia's little girl. She held onto the animal and he held on to her.

"It's okay, sweetheart. You're safe; nothing's going to happen to you."

Scout didn't respond. For a while, Eli thought she had already fallen asleep. He kissed her head before he closed his eyes and prepared to sleep when the sound of his daughter's voice reached his ears once again.

"I miss Mommy."

Hearing those words from Scout always tore his heart to shreds. No child should ever have to say those words, so knowing that his own had to feel that way and say such words made him want to cry.

"I do too, baby girl. I do too."

Clare comes in the next chapter or the chapter after. Who wants to read it? Review please!