"Was that a yawn?" Josh Lyman asked his young daughter tenderly.

"No," she replied, pouting defiantly.

"Uh huh," said Josh in a disbelieving tone.

"Daaaaad," she whined. "Read more, pleeeeeeease."

Josh laughed at her gently and shifted slightly in his position beside her on her bed; she was under the covers and he was sitting on top, his legs stretched out beside hers and the book over both their laps. He turned to the next page but, before he could utter a word, the bedroom door opened. They both looked towards the door with matching guilty faces.

"What's going on in here?" Donna asked suspiciously, her tone light.

"Nothing," they replied in unison. Donna raised her eyebrows and Josh acquiesced, unable to compete with his wife's disbelieving and probing look.

"We're reading," he stated simply. Donna walked towards the bed and Josh quickly moved so that the book was hidden behind his back.

"And what exactly are you reading, Joshua?"

"A book," came the reply from their daughter. Josh's face split into a grin and both he and Donna chuckled.

"She's right," Josh said, giving his daughter a conspiratorial glance.

"Joshua," Donna said warningly. "And as for you, missy," she continued, directing her gaze to the little girl in the bed, "since when have you been called Joshua?"

The little face scrunched up, its owner not quite sure what her mother was meaning.

"I'm not called Joshua," she replied determinedly. "I'm called Jessica."

"So, why did you answer a question I directed at your father?" asked Donna pointedly, keeping her tone light so that Jessica was not alarmed.

Jessica shrugged a little; a trait she had picked up from her father. "I was trying to help him out," she replied.

By this time, Josh had changed his position; he was still sitting on the bed, but was now facing his daughter, though still able to see Donna. He smiled warmly at the little girl and gave her a 'thanks for trying' look; both of them knew Donna wouldn't give in until she had busted them.

"Well, it didn't work," Donna commented. "I still want to know what book you are reading."

Josh shared a guilty glance with Jessica before finally holding the book up for Donna.

"Josh!" she exclaimed in exasperation. "Not the scrapbook again."

He shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't start it," he explained. "Jess was already reading it when I got home. Emily said she requested it."

"She always requests it, Josh; that doesn't mean that you and Emily have to give in to her every time."

Josh looked from his wife to his daughter and then back again. Donna realized that Jessica was beginning to get a little worried at the words passing between her parents.

"Okay, well, story time is over for tonight now anyway," Donna said, watching as her daughter's face fell, along with that of her husband's.

"Aww, mom," Jessica whined. "We haven't got to me being born yet."

"Where are you up to?" Donna questioned Josh.

"Where you moved in with me," he replied.

"Well, the rest will just have to wait for another day." Jessica pouted and Donna let out a sigh. "Jessica," she warned, "it's late and you have school tomorrow. Go to sleep."

"When can I hear the rest?" the little girl asked.

"Tomorrow," her mother replied.

"Do you pwomise?" Jessica asked, her tiredness causing her to slur her words.

"I promise," Donna replied sincerely. "I'll even let your Dad read it to you, since I know he enjoys telling the stories."

Jessica looked to her father for confirmation and a huge smile came over her face as she saw him nod his agreement.

"I'll leave work extra-early to read it to you," he vowed. Their promises appeased Jessica and she started to settle down.

"I love you, Mom," Jessica said as Donna kissed her goodnight.

"I love you too, sweetheart," Donna replied.

"Night, Dad."

"Hey, don't you love me as well?" Josh asked petulantly.

Jessica looked up and laughed softly before replying, "I love you, Dad."

"I love you more," Josh said, leaning down and kissing his daughter's forehead. He ruffled her hair and helped her move down under the covers before turning on her nightlight.

Josh stood at his daughter's bedroom doorway and watched as she settled down to sleep; he would have stayed there for hours if Donna hadn't dragged him by the arm, switching off the room light on the way. It never ceased to amaze him how Jessica could be so active and vocal during the day but become so peaceful at night; Donna said she was just like Josh in that respect.

*

"Josh, you and Emily really need to learn to say no to Jess, you know; that scrapbook is gonna fall apart with the number of times you've read it to her," Donna told him as they walked along the upstairs hallway from their daughter's bedroom.

"I can't help it," he admitted. "She looks at me with those eyes and then pouts at me; it's really your fault," he stated. Donna raised her eyebrows questioningly and he expanded his statement. "She inherited those features from you, therefore it is your fault; you use them against me just like she does, she must have picked that up from you as well."

Donna failed to stifle her laugh, but she did manage to roll her eyes at him.

"Yeah, and she inherited her stubbornness, her dimples and her unruly hair from you," Donna replied, smirking at him.

"Okay, you got me on that one," he conceded, shrugging his shoulders in defeat and grinning.

"But really, Josh, if she has you under her thumb like this when she's only 5 years old, you are never gonna survive her teenage years. She'll find it really easy to persuade you to let her go to all the parties, etc...it's gonna be a nightmare for me."

Josh cocked his head at her quizzically. "How's it gonna be a nightmare for you? And by the way, she won't be going to any parties until she's at least 30."

"It'll be a nightmare for me because I am going to have to be the one putting my foot down and telling her no. I already have to do that, but she's too little to hold a grudge for long; however, I know she's gonna end up like you with the grudge-holding and I'm going to be the nasty parent-"

"While I'll be the cool one," Josh finished for her.

Donna laughed. "Okay, um, I don't think you'll ever be described as cool, but you will be seen as the one who never tells her off, yes."

"Well, that works for me," smirked Josh.

"Why am I not surprised?" asked Donna rhetorically as Josh grinned at her. "Anyway, have you eaten yet?" Josh shook his head. "Okay, well, how about you go make us some pasta while I grab a shower and change?" Donna suggested.

"Okay," he replied. "But first, I owe you a kiss to welcome you home for the night." Donna smiled and leaned in to accept the kiss, her arms automatically going around his neck.

"Hi," she said with a warm smile as they broke apart. "I'm gonna go freshen up." She headed for the shower as Josh watched her, finally walking downstairs to the kitchen when she had entered their bedroom.

*

"So, where's Emily?" asked Donna as she and Josh ate their meal.

"She went out as soon as I got home," Josh replied.

"Really? Where to?"

"The library."

Donna swallowed a mouthful of pasta before registering her disbelief. "What time did you get home?"

"Around 7," Josh answered.

"Okay," Donna laughed, "I really don't think Emily would have gone to the library at 7 at night."

Josh furrowed his brow a little. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Donna chuckled, "that she has more than likely gone out on a date. She never goes to the library at night."

"You're kidding me," Josh said; he was annoyed with himself for believing Emily's story. "Why would she lie to me?"

Donna snorted. "You really think she would give you the opportunity to make one of your 'gomer' comments?"

"I only do that because I care. I wanna make sure the guys she dates are good enough for her," he defended.

Donna stretched out her right hand to clasp Josh's left. "I know you do, but she's 24 years old and in college, Josh; she's able to make her own decisions about these things."

It was Josh's turn to snort. "Yeah, right, 'cos she's made such good decisions so far. She's almost as bad as you were for picking gomers."

He saw the look of hurt appear on Donna's face and immediately apologized silently by squeezing her hand tightly.

"I came good in the end though, didn't I?" Donna asked quietly. "I mean, I married you."

"Yeah, you did," he replied huskily. "And for that, I am eternally grateful." He smiled warmly and the smile was returned by Donna. "If only there was another me for Emily," he joked. "Then we wouldn't have any problems with her dating gomers."

Donna rolled her eyes. "You couldn't help it with the 'I am wonderful' comment, could you?"

"Well, no. I wouldn't be me if I had," he responded through a smirk.

*

"Hi, Emily," Donna said as she heard the front door of the Lyman-family townhouse close late that night.

"Uh, hi guys," her niece said, entering the living room to find Josh and Donna sitting on the couch. "I didn't expect you to still be up."

"Josh wanted to find out how your date went," Donna stated with a grin as Josh narrowed his eyes.

"My date?" Emily said, trying to sound innocent. "I told you I was going to the library."

"I know that's what you told me," Josh growled. "But your Aunt Donna seems to think you wouldn't go to the library at night; she thinks you lied to me," he accused.

"Umm, I..." Emily stammered.

"Emily, if you had a date, you could have just told me," Josh said gently. "You didn't have to lie to me." His tone betrayed his hurt and Emily raised her eyes to meet his.

"I'm sorry," she replied, taking off her jacket and sitting down in an armchair. "It's just...it was our first date and I didn't want a grilling from you about him," she admitted.

Josh sat forward on the couch and looked directly at her.

"Em, I'm sorry. I'm sorry if I've made you feel like you can't talk to me; I never want you to feel that way. If I get that way again, just do what your Aunt Donna does," he suggested.

"What's that?" Emily asked with a smile. "Ignore you?"

"No, tell him to shut up," Donna grinned.

Josh gave his wife a scowl, but then grinned. "Yeah, that's pretty much it," he laughed.

"Okay, well, it's late; I'm gonna go to bed," Emily said as she rose from her chair. "I have an early class tomorrow."

"Before you go, Emily," Donna said pointedly, causing Emily to look alarmed. "No more letting Jessica look at the scrapbook, okay?" Donna was smiling as she spoke, but Emily knew she was serious.

"I'm sorry, she just...well, she's too much like her father," she pointed out, "she whined until I gave in."

"Hey!" Josh exclaimed while pouting and trying to act wounded.

"Believe me, I know exactly what she can be like...what they can both be like," Donna amended with a smirk in her husband's direction, "but, it just gets Josh started down 'memory lane' again; I got home late to find them still reading the book. The thing is going to fall apart if they read it any more."

"Okay, I promise, no more scrapbook," Emily vowed. "Night, Aunt Donna, night, Josh," she said, smiling at them both as she left the room.