Disclaimer: I own Victoria and everything else belongs to ABCD.

Author's Note: Okay, I had "Crowning Glory" on repeat one night and just got the mental image of an adorable little girl—Victoria obviously—forcing John to sit through the scene repeatedly. Sat down to write it at Amanda's a couple of weekends ago and voila!

Dedication: For Becki for her birthday! Thank you so much for being so accepting of fluff rather than smut darlin'!

Title: Quality Time

"Daddy, can we watch 'The Princess Diaries 2'?" John opened his eyes to see his daughter standing above him, her face less than two inches from his. Her beautiful blue eyes pleaded with his and with a groan John found himself sitting himself up.

"Okay baby, just give me a few minutes to wake up all right?"

"Okay!" Eve Victoria McBain climbed down from the bed and skipped from the room merrily, her shoulder length hair bouncing all the way.

"You're going to be watching that movie all day," Natalie said with no small measure of pleasure as she kept her face buried in the pillows.

"It's good to see that you're so sympathetic," John replied dryly as he somehow found the energy to turn over enough so that he fell out of bed.

Natalie giggled as he popped up and pulled on a pair of sweatpants. "Well it's going to be nice to get a break for once, I have to admit."

"Jumping on the couch, I'm jumping on the couch!" John smiled as he heard his daughter singing away from the living room.

"Daddy!" Victoria immediately stopped jumping and sat down when her father entered the room, giving him her most angelic 'I wasn't doing anything bad, honest' look.

"I'm not falling for that look. You were jumping on the couch weren't you?" John tried to look stern but failed as Victoria nodded miserably.

"I'm sorry Daddy, please don't make me sit in time-out!" she begged, tears coming to her eyes. "I won't do it again, I promise!"

"Well, I think that for today the punishment should change," John said somberly.

"To what?" Victoria asked cautiously.

"To… tickling!" John immediately jumped onto the couch, grabbing his daughter before she could get away and beginning to tickle her mercilessly as she shrieked in helpless laughter.

After a few minutes he finally released her and kissed her forehead. "Now don't let me catch you jumping on the couch again or you will sit in time-out. Got it?"

Victoria nodded, wrapping her arms around John's neck and hugging him tightly. "Got it. I love you Daddy."

"I love you too baby," John whispered, wrapping his arms around her and embracing him tightly.

"Can we watch the movie now?" she asked, breaking the hug.

John nodded. "Sure."

"…and that will be your crowning glory!" Victoria sang at the top of her lungs for the tenth time. "The most glorious part… of… you!"

John resisted the urge to smile as the song went off, knowing what was coming next. And surely enough…

"Play it again, Daddy! Play it again!"

With a sigh John hit the back button on the remote control and watched as Julie Andrews, Anne Hathaway and Raven began their now all-too-familiar dialogue yet again.

"So how did you enjoy your movie day?" Natalie asked with a smile, beginning to put away the groceries she had just returned from buying.

"Well the movie was great--I really loved it when Princess Mia learned that valuable life lesson."

Natalie had to laugh at his sarcasm as she leaned over to kiss him. "I'm sorry, but now you know what I go through every day."

"Who introduced her to that movie anyway?"

"That would be Bree—she brought it over last week and Jess was thoughtful enough to buy us a copy too."

John shook his head. "Your sister," he said in mock exasperation.

Natalie giggled. "Yeah, yeah. But come on, that number Raven and Julie Andrews is pretty cute you have to admit."

"Maybe the first time—maybe," he admitted with a small grin. "But not after seeing it twenty times in a row."

Wincing in sympathy Natalie put the last of the groceries away and turned to give him another kiss. "I'm sorry. I should have told you--I usually only let her watch it five or six times."

John just stared at her. "Are you serious?" he finally asked.

"Yeah—I really am sorry." And she was, he could tell by the apologetic look in her eyes.

He smiled and watched that fear melt away. "It's all right, I survived didn't I?"

Natalie opened her mouth to reply but just then Victoria ran into the kitchen and grabbed John's hand, tugging on it excitedly. "Daddy! Can we watch The Little Mermaid?"

"Honey, why don't you let Daddy have a break?"

"Nah," he interrupted, smiling down at his daughter. "I'd like that."

"Yay!" Victoria ran into the living room singing "Under the Sea" at the top of her lungs and John smiled at Natalie as he followed.

Natalie smiled as she shook her head. John was completely wrapped around their little girl's finger and it was something to see—John McBain becoming a puddle of mush and rushing to watch Disney movies with his daughter.

She glanced at the clock and noted that she had the next two hours free so she headed into the living room after her family. It was time for some quality time.

FIN