A/N: My muse possessed me when I realized I hadn't posted anything in about three months. Thus, I present to you another Maggie fic. Enjoy.
—Maggie's a little less than a year old in this one.
Daddy's Girl
by The Sneezing Panda
"Okay, Maggie, what are we going to watch?"
Julianna Braddock quirked an eyebrow at her husband's inquiry and looked up from her novel. Sam and their daughter, Margaret (affectionately nicknamed "Maggie"), were lying on the couch in front of the television, engaged in what seemed to be an attempt at a serious conversation. Jules shook her head, grinning, and returned to her book as Maggie babbled her little baby talk.
"Mmmhmm," Sam pretended to note, glancing at the TV for some ideas. "How about... CSI?"
Maggie's smile faltered, her expression hauntingly similar to the face he received from Jules whenever he said something stupid. Sam couldn't help but chuckle. It was frightening, that look: frightening on his wife, but quite adorable on his baby girl. Maggie buried her face in his chest and giggled.
"Yeah, yeah. I know," Sam replied, "Silly daddy." Maggie lifted her head and gave him another toothless grin, this one resembling his own. Almost identical, if not for the lack of teeth. Sam scrolled down on the guide.
"Hmm... Barney's on," Sam commented with disdain, his brows furrowing. Maggie once again broke out into babbles and giggles and smacked her tiny hands on his chest when she heard "Barney", a familiar word. To say Margaret Braddock loved Barney would be the understatement of the century.
"I'll take that as a no," said Sam fluidly, "misinterpreting" her reaction, and moving along on the guide. Immediately, two sets of eyes—one pair blue, one pair brown—snapped up to meet his. Together, his wife and daughter gave him the glare of a lifetime. He could see a flicker of amusement in Jules' eyes, however, and he knew she was mocking him for she, too, couldn't stand the talking purple dinosaur.
Sam flashed Maggie his mega-watt smile and rubbed her back soothingly. "Come on, who'd want to watch Barney if they could watch the Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show?"
Maggie didn't falter. She pouted, tears swimming in her eyes. Sam's eyes went as wide as saucers and at the same time, father and daughter turned to Mama Bear for assistance. Jules raised her hands defensively and shook her head. Jules rolled her eyes in response to Sam's pout.
"You two need to sort this out yourselves. And I need some coffee," Jules excused herself as she placed her bookmark in a copy of Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment,grabbed her mug off of the coffee table, and tried not to burst out laughing.
Sam and Maggie turned back to each other and held a staring contest. Three seconds in, Sam knew he couldn't stand a chance. He sighed in defeat and tuned into Maggie's favourite show. "Fine. Barney it is."
Maggie squealed happily once her favourite Tyrannosaurus Rex promenaded in front of the camera. Sam narrowed his eyes at the television screen, finding Barney's goofy timbre headache-inducing. He looked back down at Maggie; his expression softened at her toothless smile and bouncy, blonde curls.
She had him wrapped around her finger.
"Way to hold out, Braddock," Jules, who had never really left the room, spoke up from the doorway. Sam scowled and let out a little "harumph" that Jules thought was adorable—not that she would ever tell him that. Sam had this silly idea that he was a sexy macho manly man.
"You try getting in between child and her talking dinosaur," Sam replied as he sat up, Maggie still in his arms. Her eyes never left the screen.
Sam looked at Jules and patted the empty spot next to him on the couch. It wasn't exactly an invitation to watch the show with them: he silently told her to watch the show with them. She left him out to dry; it was the least she could do.
Jules bit her lip and chuckled quietly. It took her about seven seconds to curl up into Sam's side. She kissed the crown of Maggie's head, which caused the young girl to laugh, and kissed Sam's cheek before resting her head on his shoulder.
Sam craned his neck slightly and whispered, "I think we're even."
Jules was about to give a sassy reply when Barney, with that god-awful silly voice, started encouraging the children to sing about toothpaste.
They cringed, but couldn't help but laugh when Maggie tried to sing along.
It was worth it for her.
A/N: I used to be obsessed with Barney. My brother holds it against me.
