I hope you guys enjoy this sequel, I put a lot of thought into it! :) This story is dedicated to my friend Nicole, who's been going through a hard time. I hope it makes her smile, and give her somewhere to escape to. xoxo.

"I love you, forever and always," Joan whispered, cradling her daughter in her arms. She stood up from the rocking chair slowly, rocking the baby gently in her arms as she walked to the crib. She tucked her daughter in, placing a soft kiss on her cheek.

Joan's eyes wandered to the framed birth certificate above the crib that read "Emily Marie Campbell." It was crazy to think that she and Arthur had an 18-month-old daughter, but then again, almost every moment of the last six years had felt surreal to Joan. She smoothed her violet t-shirt, which she was wearing with flannel plaid pajama pants, and continued to stand over her baby girl.

"Babe?"

Arthur walked into the nursery, shirtless and wearing blue pajama pants. He was yawning and scratching his head.

"Honey, it's 3 in the morning," he whispered. He pressed a kiss to her temple and looked at the crib.

"I know," Joan whispered back. "But she was screaming."

"Aren't you supposed to let them ride out tantrums?"

"I couldn't," Joan admitted. Arthur chuckled.

"Okay, well, now that she's asleep, want to come back to bed with me?"

Joan nodded, giving little Emily one last glance before taking Arthur's hand and walking back down the hall to their bedroom.

xxx

Joan woke up the next morning at 7 am to find Arthur already gone. He had been working for the DCS for about a year now, and started putting in extra hours the second he heard that the current DCS, Michael Kayne, was aiming for retirement in the next few years. He had left a note on her nightstand that read: At work, missing you and little Em already. xoxo.

Joan smiled and snuggled deeper into the pillows, wishing Arthur was still in bed beside her. It took her a good twenty minutes to get up, and it would have taken her longer, but she heard Emily start to cry. She made her way to the nursery, picking up her fussy child and rocking her back and forth in her arms.

"Shhh," she whispered, placing a kiss on her daughter's hair. "Shhh, baby, it's okay."

Joan continued to soothe Emily as she walked into the kitchen and checked the phone messages. Arthur's cousin Erin was a grad student at American University, and often helped them out with the baby, especially since Joan had gone back to work 8 months earlier. Sure enough, there was a message from Erin, saying she would be at the house by 9 am. Joan glanced at the clock and saw she still had half an hour, so she took a now quiet Emily into the nursery and sat down in the rocking chair.

Emily's resemblance to Joan was incredible, except for her electric blue eyes. Her daddy's eyes. Joan smiled and watched her daughter stare around the room, still in her mother's arms. It was still unreal to Joan that she and Arthur had been so lucky, ever since that mission in London. Their life together was like a movie that Joan could easily play in her head – dating for almost 2 years, marriage, and almost exactly 3 years from their wedding day when Joan found out she was pregnant.

But perhaps Joan's fondest memory of the last few years was Arthur's proposal. It was romantic, sweet, and slightly goofy, just like him. They had just gotten back from dinner and are were taking about going furniture shopping the next morning for the apartment they had just bought. They still needed a bed, among a few other things. Arthur disappeared into the bedroom to change into pajamas, and Joan plugged her phone into the kitchen charger and answered some emails. When she entered the bedroom, their makeshift bed (a comforter piled with blankets and pillows, like a nest), was being sprinkled with rose petals.

"Arthur?"

He looked up from his petal-sprinkling, eyes wide. "Oh, shit. Hey, babe."

"Hey," Joan said slowly. "What are you doing?"

He dropped the last handful of petals and kicked his shoes off, jumping onto the bed.

"Joan," he said grandly. "I have something to ask you" He stuck his hand into his blazer pocket and then withdrew it, running over to the dresser. Joan covered her mouth with her hand to keep from laughing, her gray-blue eyes twinkling. Arthur recovered what he was looking for and walked over to her, getting down on one knee and opening a small velvet box. A diamond ring sat in the box, a simple silver band with a brilliant diamond and a tiny emerald on each side.

"I grew up thinking that every marriage was doomed to fail, that love was flawed and painful, and in the end, not worth it. But then I met you, and now I know that it is impossible for any marriage with you be anything but loving and wonderful. So, Joan Elizabeth Andrews, will you marry me?"

Joan wiped a few tears out of her eyes and giggled.

"Yes, I will. I love you, Arthur Howard Campbell."

He laughed and slipped the ring on her trembling finger before pulling her into a tight hug. She kissed him tenderly, tangling her fingers in his hair.

When they came up for air, she pointed to the bed.

"Was that your attempt to sex-up our pillow fort?"

He nodded, touching her shoulder and delicately slipping off the straps of her green feather-printed dress.

"Yeah, how did I do?"

Joan laughed and kissed him, cupping his face in her hands. "Not bad."

xxx

"Hello?"

Joan was startled out of her memories by Erin, who was in the kitchen. Joan held Emily against her shoulder and got up, walking into the living room.

"Erin, hi!"

Erin tucked a lock of thick brown hair behind her ear and grinned. "Hey, Joan." She made a kissy face. "Hey little Emmie," she cooed, taking the baby from Joan. Emily just gurgled and said, "Ewin." Joan laughed and went to pour herself a cup of coffee.

"So, I'm going to shower and get to work. The nanny will be here at 2 pm to relieve you, feel free to help yourself to... whatever," Joan said, running her hands through her hair as she did a mental checklist of the food in the fridge. "Actually, let me leave you some money. I don't think Arthur or I remembered to buy groceries this week."

Erin laughed, shifting Emily onto her hip and bouncing her. "I can do the shopping, if you want. Just leave me a list."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Erin said with a casual nod. "I'll bring Emily in a stroller."

"You are wonderful," Joan said, grinning. She pulled her grocery list out of the magnet clip on the fridge and left it on the counter. She walked over to Erin and gave her daughter a kiss before thanking Erin again and running upstairs to take a shower.

Joan's dress in the flashback: Corey Lynn Calter Delightful as a Feather Dress from Modcloth.