Child of Ours

by cartuneslover17

(Pre-movie) Joy hardly listened, watching Riley go about. Keeping her eyes on the little girl wasn't just a job to her. It was her life. And to Joy, Riley meant the world to her. Hopefully as time progressed the other emotions would realize that Riley revolved around all of them. Because they were all watching over her together.

Well, I'm graduating from university on the 20th. And I still got to wait a MONTH for this movie...

But seriously, watching the trailers made me realize just how much Riley means to Joy. This was first done as an RP with my good friend and fellow Monsters University fan from Deviantart known as victortky.

This is also a late Mother's Day tribute. You'll see why once you read this. ;)

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! :D
_

Joy smiled happily as she watched through the eyes of the little toddler. This was another one of those perfect days to simply relax and embrace the beauty that was of this blessed child. The leading emotion could not think of a more wonderful moment than seeing the world through the human's eyes.

Riley was placed in her crib, sitting in front of the TV among her toys and blankets. Her parents were somewhere around the house, dad doing some paperwork while mom was probably handling smaller jobs benefiting the family. They didn't have to worry about leaving Riley alone. Most of the time she was well-behaved and wasn't too much of a hassle. She never caused any serious trouble, which led her parents to be less skeptical about being in another room that separated from their daughter. Instincts told them that Riley would always be safe in recognition with her minuscule independence.

And most importantly, she had five special individuals that were always keeping an eye on her.

The yellow emotion's grin could not get any wider as she watched the beloved child toss her dolls left and right. If Joy could, she would gather each plush and tease Riley with them, like the way her mother did when they had their special moments of play time. The positive voice inside Riley's head could only picture herself in Mrs. Anderson's shoes, able to hold her little girl and just embrace every moment of motherhood.

If Joy focused hard enough, she would practically feel the softness of Riley's skin in her glowingly bright hands. The only thing she could feel of the human child was the cool surface beneath her feet in headquarters. But that didn't stop Joy from allowing herself to be there, like a life-sized version of herself was hovering over Riley's crib right now, making goofy faces just to get a giggle out of her.

Riley's tiny hands gripped the cross-stitched net that kept her in her crib, bouncing a little as she watched the TV. Her bubbly moans and mild excited whimpers were simply adorable, and Joy cherished every second of this memory. Another orb to add to the collection, and another one to call her favorite. In all her sincerity, nearly every memory orb was her favorite that she simply watched each of them more than three times a day. And with every memory she would replay, Joy would pretend she was actually part of it.

The one featuring the first steps Riley took, the yellow emotion would play a wider version of it on the screen. Joy would place herself where Mrs. Anderson stood, holding her arms out and give her own words of encouragement as a thought-sized version of Riley holographically approached her. And the second the tiny blonde reached into her hands, even thought the image seeped right through her, Joy would cherish the moment and simply embrace Riley's image. She hardly felt like she was touching air as she closed her eyes, pretending that Riley was in her arms.

Since the moment she had been brought to Riley's head, Joy knew what exactly she was meant for. And that was to lead Riley's mind. But most importantly, to love and protect her. Joy loved her so much, and she would want nothing more than to keep their precious Riley safe.

The other emotions, since they first arrived to HQ, often questioned why exactly she would be so attached to Riley. While they all vividly cared for the young human, it was pretty much a one-sided relationship. Usually Anger or Disgust would remind her that Riley had no awareness of their existence. To her, they were merely thoughts believed to be made on her own accord.

But Joy didn't care, and she didn't believe it. To her, Riley knew there was always someone watching over her. Not that Joy was certain she would call the emotions something like guardian angels, but they knew how to protect Riley. And wasn't love the most significant thing?

Love, as she knew, came in all shapes and sizes, whether or not a person was even aware he or she was loved. Riley had the love of her parents, her friends, her community, and most importantly, her state of mind. Every positive thought that came to her was like a kiss on the forehead. And often Joy would press her lips to her fingers before pushing the button that gave Riley that feeling.

Right now everything seemed to be running smoothly so far, and the day was going by without any complications. Riley just sat in her crib, playing with her toys while being entertained by the children's program showing on the television across from her. She had everything that would keep a toddler occupied for some time, and Joy was sure that Riley was very much focused on a cartoon comprised of adorable animals speaking in human language. So was Joy, who found humans' television a lot more entertaining than what she watched on her own tube. Basically what Riley liked, so did she.

Keeping her eyes on both Riley and the program onscreen, the yellow emotion hardly remembered that four others were beside her. They watched on with mild interest, throwing in their commentary every now and then, especially regarding the children's show they couldn't believe Riley was given for enjoyment.

"Man, you'd think her parents would have given her something better than Barney the Dinosaur..." Anger grumbled, placing his fists on the control panel as the music played through his ears like crunching metal.

"Gross," Disgust scoffed, folding her arms as she gagged at the sight of the choreographers and the guy in the purple suit. "The singing is so cheesy."

Fear played with his fingers nervously, regarding how many times the show zoomed in on the aforementioned character's face. "Cartoon mascots...one of the worst things to be afraid of this early in childhood," he stated. "I mean, just look at him! Those eyes are practically saying he wants your soul!"

Sadness looked on, cocking her head to the side. "I can't help but wonder if the person inside that dino suit is even having a good time."

Joy just smiled to herself, hardly paying any mind to them as she continued watching. The others noticed her yellow flesh glow brighter, her blue eyes twinkling as they drank in both the program and Riley.

"I think it's all great," she murmured softly, laying her head in her hands as she gazed at the screen.

All four watched closely as Joy regarded Riley's every move. The child was hobbling on her bottom back and forth, swinging one of her dolls around as the music became even more unbearable to Anger and Disgust. Fear and Sadness weren't too affected by it, but they were not as intrigued as their leading emotion was. Joy rocked her hips a bit, almost wriggling her bottom as she allowed the purple dinosaur's voice to take control. In some way she found him quite adorable as well!

Much as her name implied, she was simply delighted to see their child. like this. She lived and breathed every moment as if she was right next to Riley. The others watched as the yellow emotion lightly fingered one of the controls, continuously keeping her eye on the little girl. Almost like a doting parent.

Disgust rolled her eyes, becoming even more bored and irritated. "I don't think we're needed right now. Riley looks okay to me. Let's just get out of here."

Joy lifted her head and turned to the green emotion in surprise. "What? We can't just leave Riley!"

The other girl gave her trademark scoff. "What more does she even need? It's not like she has any reason to feel anything besides...well, being a baby."

"But what if something comes up?" Joy asked, her tone almost sounding similar to Fear's.

"Then leave it to mom and dad," Disgust simply responded.

"They're not here!" the leading emotion reminded her. "We're supposed to be watching Riley while they're not present."

"I don't see what the big deal is," the green-sporting female jeered. "She's like any other kid with emotions. I doubt she'd need us that much."

Joy frowned, a rare sight for anyone to witness. "Okay, don't ever say that. Riley will always need us no matter what."

Disgust peered at her closely. "You sure? Because the way I see it, Riley's doing just fine."

Anger scoffed, both girls glancing in his direction. "Tell that to the broccoli incident."

Disgust huffed, her cheeks turning a shade of pink that matched her scarf. "I just saved Riley from getting poisoned. What have you ever done for her?"

The red emotion frowned, his already narrowed brows becoming even more hostile. "I got mom and dad to pay attention to her, how about that?"

"Oh, you mean the tantrum she threw?" she snorted. "The one that nearly drove her parents' ears to bleed?"

Anger fumed, his scalp nearly becoming a mix of dark orange and volcanic yellow. "What did you want her to do? Sit perfectly still until mom or dad came for her?"

Joy just smiled, shaking her head as she watched the two bicker. "Aww, look at that! You guys really do care about Riley!"

Both emotions ceased their quarrel before turning to her. The stars in Joy's eyes twinkled even more as she stood before them, the image of Riley herself behind her almost as if she was present as well. Anger and Disgust merely glanced at each other begrudgingly, hating to even admit that Joy had a point. Fortunately for them, Fear intervened.

"Speaking of her parents," the most nervous of the emotions spoke, "the least they could do is take her to the playground."

However, his enthusiasm changed the moment such a place sank into his agitated mind.

"On second thought, maybe that isn't such a good idea..."

Already he had whipped out his clipboard, which had a long list of possible dangers involving the playground. Anger groaned while Disgust hardly paid much attention to him than her own hand. Joy and Sadness had expected this, merely listening for the sake of Fear, knowing that he had some points in his lists of mildly ridiculous uncertainties.

"Such as..." he read aloud, peering at the first page, "number one: falling off the slide and getting diaper filled with those wood fiber chips they use to "cushion" the ground...number two: possible breakage of swing upon use...yeah, that one's a biggie...and number three-

"You make it sound like the playground is one of the most depressing place for a child," Sadness moaned, hating to hear any more.

"I'm just stating the possible accidents we can prevent Riley from," Fear assured her. "And because she's just a little kid, we have to be extra careful!"

All looked back at the screen, Anger incredibly grateful the corny children's program had ended and commercials began to air. He watched as Riley tossed her toys around the crib, becoming a little restless as she bounced on her bottom.

"Geez, next thing you know she'll start throwing expensive stuff around the house!" he gripped.

"What difference does that make compared to you having thrown a chair across the room last week?" Disgust scoffed.

He fumed. "Hey, I was really peeved that day! Mom had to take Riley's temperature!"

Joy giggled softly before glancing up to watch as Riley went through most of hers toys, reaching the peak of being slightly bored within her crib. However, the little blonde grabbed a stuffed kitten and hoisted it up in the air. In a matter of moments, she had managed to toss it off the edge of the crib before it fell to the floor with an inaudible thud. It was then, much to Fear's horror, that Riley managed to grip the top bar that exceeded just a little above her height, before placing her feet on the netted barrier.

The purple emotion dropped his clipboard, letting out a terrified shriek that made the others flinch. "Oh, no! She's going to climb over it! Danger! So much danger!"

"Nah, she'll be fine," Anger muttered, witnessing with nonchalance. "This'll be a great experience if she ever goes to prison."

"Not helping!" Fear screamed.

Joy just smiled before gently pressing the main button that seeped her essence into Riley's mind. In a matter of seconds Riley was grinning as she hoisted herself higher, tiny feet dangling above her remaining toys and blankets. For such a small child, she had some impressive strength, most of it due to the excessive amount of positivity she was always given. By now she was more determined to escape her compartment, fearing nothing of height or how difficult it was. Soon the others, minus Fear who was biting his fingers with anxiety, watched with even more interest. And concern. After all, Riley was only a toddler.

But the yellow emotion herself had little worry because she knew Riley would always be fine in their care. Joy may not ever get the honor of kissing her boo-boos or rocking her after a brief terrifying experience, but there were other ways of protecting their child. And giving Riley confidence and awareness was one of those things.

Hardly paying the others any attention, all of it focused on the little blonde, she openly spoke her encouragement as Riley carefully climbed her crib. Her beautiful blue eyes which could nearly resemble the girl's widened in anticipation, her palms gripping the control panel tighter than Riley with the crib's netting.

"Come on, sweetie..." Joy murmured, heart racing a bit. "You can do it. Atta, girl! Mommy Joy's got your back. Just keep climbing..."

The other emotions wheeled in her direction, Joy acknowledging none of it. They just gawked at her, eyes raising in surprise. Did she just say what they thought she just said? Disgust was the first to speak, hands on her hips as she peered carefully at Joy as if she had an eye right in the middle of her forehead.

"Okay, seriously?" the green emotion said, her tone a mix between sarcasm and disbelief. "Mommy Joy?"

Joy glanced at her, almost as if disappointed by the other girl's lack of enthusiasm. "Um, yeah, what's wrong with that?"

Disgust scoffed, rolling her eyes as if it was the most obvious question both inside the mind and out. "You're not her mom, you know that, right?"

Although a bit pained by her insistent statement, Joy covered it with her usual soft smile. They just didn't get it yet.

"Well, I like it," she defended calmly. "And I feel like I am."

The judgmental emotion gurgled at the back of her throat, throwing her head back so much her eyes nearly rolled inside her scalp. "What's next? Daddy Anger?"

Said emotion stared at her, open-mouthed. He grunted under his breath, turning away so no one would notice the shade of pink upon his red cheeks. He refused to look back at Fear and Sadness who regarded him curiously upon the mentioned nickname.

"Oh, like that's going to happen..." Anger grumbled bitterly, resting his palms on the control panel.

Fear gazed up at the screen. He nervously played with his fingers, the question mark of hair at the top of his head forming a tighter coil. He watched as the little girl was dangerously dangling herself from the outside of her crib to the floor. He couldn't bare to see Riley get a booboo if she fell roughly on her bottom! He grabbed Joy by the shoulders, startling the yellow emotion who looked at him in surprise.

"Riley's on the edge right now! We need to stop her!"

Joy merely smiled, gently pushing his hands off her shoulders before gesturing to the screen. "Oh, it's nothing wrong, Fear. Riley's just testing her surroundings!"

Sadness swallowed, peering at the little blonde child through her large glasses. "Um, Joy? I think Riley really could get hurt..."

Joy snorted at this, her smile becoming any brighter if possible. "There's no need to worry! Our little girl's just being a little rebel! Am I right?"

She grinned at the other emotions. None of them returned the gesture, especially Fear whose eyes were locked on Riley as her small feet dangled toward the floor. Anger rubbed his head, feeling the stress build up just be watching the kid; he wouldn't admit he was getting a little worried too. He, Fear, and Disgust were the newest emotions to HQ, and every day since starting their jobs it seemed like it got much harder. And they were taking care of a toddler! It was as if their job was to basically babysit her 24/7 while her parents were looking away from her for merely a moment!

"Man, where are the mom and dad to even see this?" he grunted impatiently.

Joy rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Oh, Anger! We're the ones taking care of her right now."

Disgust pretended to gag, something she usually did on a daily basis even for the most mundane things. "Seriously? What do you take us for? We are not...that's just...that's really...I mean, seriously!"

She threw her hands up, letting out a strained scoff that reached the ceiling of HQ. Ever since meeting Joy, it was as if the whole world needed to stop just for Riley. Of course, they were her emotions, they knew their responsibilities. But Joy was taking it a little too much to heart! Like a doting mother who would spoil her daughter endlessly...

"Oh, man, she's really climbing!" Fear gasped, wringing his hands with anxiety. "Oh, please don't fall, Riley!"

Joy gazed up at the screen, not the least bit worried right now. "Look how much confidence she has! She'll be climbing tress before she turns 8!"

And true to her word, Riley managed to lean her belly onto the outside of her crib, legs still dangling as she glanced down at the floor where her toy laid. Fear was on the verge of a serious panic attack as she grunted in her usual baby noises, her determination becoming his new form of uncertainty.

"It's hardwood floor!" he cried frantically. "She'll hurt herself!"

"I got this," Joy chirped as she rubbed her hands. She reached over and pressed the main button once more. Smiling as Riley received more confidence, the yellow emotion turned to Fear. "Okay, now you're turn. But be easy, alright?"

He wasted no time slamming his fist onto the panel, his essence seeping into Riley's thoughts. Steady as he was, he really wanted the caution mechanism to reach Riley's head before she did anything else. Everything was a danger during the stage of being a toddler, and Riley was no exception despite how incredibly special she was (to Joy's thought, of course). The little blonde's grip tightened as she lowered one foot downward, which was still a long way to go for a toddler. Fear pressed his weight against the control panel, repeatedly praying that if Riley did suffer a concussion from her fall, at least there was a good child doctor nearby and within the quickest reach.

"She's going to fall..." Anger said, his tone a mix between nonchalance or mild concern as he was unable to break his gaze from the screen.

"Again, you're not helping!" Fear screeched.

Joy ignored both of them. Her blue eyes blinked up at the image of Riley whose smile made her heart rise like a morning sun. Her hands pressed gently upon the panel, the yellow emotion leaned forward, watching Riley's every move during the process of getting down from her crib. She was taking caution, but not to the extent that, like Fear, would involve "emergency procedures" like ridding germs from the floor or contacting mom and dad (which was usually Anger's job as well).

"Go on, Riley," she said soothingly toward the screen, barely heard by the others, "we got you, sweetheart."

Disgust almost wanted to point out this gushing the yellow emotion was constantly giving the toddler, but she held back and merely gave a questionable glance in Joy's direction. Fear bit his fingers as they watched the scene unfold. He nearly shrieked when one foot slowly touched the floor, Riley grunting and babbling to herself as she lowered carefully as she could. When the other foot joined in, he nearly fainted. Anger, Disgust, and Sadness watched in relief as Riley herself was safely on the floor, having injured nothing. Joy beamed happily, her usually glowing skin becoming more vibrant as she watched their little girl finally make it out of her crib. She practically glided across the floor while dragging her stuffed cat behind her, enjoying her newfound freedom.

Joy sighed blissfully. "That's my girl. You play safe, okay? We'll all keep a good eye on you, Riley."

As they all watched Riley roam around the living room, babbling and carrying her toy, the yellow emotion felt her heart lift up even higher. Every second of every day she felt like this whenever watching Riley, from the moment she was born to right now. The other emotions, still vividly new to this job, still couldn't understand how "love" can be expressed when Riley was completely unaware of the literal voices in her head. Not to say that aiding her in life was pointless, they did harbor a particular kind of care for the toddler. But the way Joy expressed her undying loyalty and commitment to Riley was almost like a parent.

And she actually went as far as to call herself Riley's "mommy"! While she was already aware Riley did have a mom, that didn't stop the yellow emotion from being the second one in her life. Even though Riley had no idea that she had her in her life. But Joy always felt that somewhere within her mind and deep in her heart that Riley could feel the love she had for her. That she could feel the love from all of them. It just needed to take time for the other four to realize this feeling.

Joy couldn't have felt like a luckier emotion as she raised her palm up toward the screen, caressing air when in her mind she was stroking Riley's cheek. A strange gesture to do in front of the others, but she didn't care. Her heart beat rhythmically like a bird's melody as she continuing gazing up at the screen. As Riley wandered the corners of the living room, her toy adorably held against her chest, Joy's eyes never left her sight. The yellow emotion raised her hand higher, her fingers caressing the atmosphere she pictured was Riley's face.

Her mom and dad were the luckiest people in the world. To actually hold Riley and interact with her on a daily basis was something Joy had found herself dreaming of more and more. With every day in Riley's life, Joy yearned to be even more part of it. An insane desire the other emotions undoubtedly considered about her. To them, her obsession with Riley was almost unhealthy. But they were just still so new to this job, soon they would understand what Joy's heart spoke every time she watched Riley on screen.

As an emotion and "parental figure" to Riley, all Joy wanted was to do what was best for her. Always being the sweet voice that encouraged her to do new things and explore new places, Joy wanted her to experience every moment like it was the happiest day of her life. Of course, when the other emotions needed to step in, she would always allow them to partake in Riley's choices and experiences. Other than that, brightening Riley's mind and making each memory precious was more Joy's job. Any parent would want that for their child.

Joy sighed happily, hand lowering away from the screen as she continued gazing at it. Behind her the other emotions just stared, unsure of how to speak of this gesture. Disgust had a few things in mind, but she refrained from saying anything because Joy would simply brush it aside. For Anger, he was almost intrigued that Joy would consider herself almost human-like in the presence of Riley. Fear and Sadness remained questionable yet curious whenever Joy was like this. She had been here much longer than any of them with Sadness having arrived minutes later after Joy. There was still so much to learn from the yellow emotion who treated Riley as if she was right here with them in HQ...

"Okay, things seem fine right now," Fear finally spoke. "Just make sure she doesn't go to the kitchen, the mom's study, her father's cupboard, and most certainly not the attic!"

Anger rolled his eyes. "As if she even knows what that is. She doesn't even know where she's heading right now!"

"If she ends up needing a diaper change, I am so out of here," Disgust commented.

Joy hardly listened, watching Riley go about. Keeping her eyes on the little girl wasn't just a job to her. It was her life. And to Joy, Riley meant the world to her. Hopefully as time progressed the other emotions would realize that Riley revolved around all of them. Because they were all watching over her together. If she had been a human that was just her mother's height, she would hold Riley close and let her know how special she was to her. To all of them. Heck, if the others had the opportunity, they would bring down their walls just to hold her as well.

They all watched as Joy drank in every moment that was Riley. They hadn't been working here for long, but their realization that Joy took her job like a serious parent was inevitable. Just to love someone who didn't even know of that individual's existence still unnerved them. While Joy meant well, it was as if she refused the reality that Riley would never suspect the voices in her head belonged to actual people. Well, not people like her, but still the same in its own right. They knew how attached Joy was to the child, refusing to allow distance (among other factors) separate her from simply loving Riley. The child could be 11 and she still wouldn't suspect that the reason for her happiness was the work of someone who thought the world of her.

But Joy refused to believe that. Riley was her whole world, and in some sense the feeling was mutual. She wanted to believe that. In some crazy sense she believed that maybe one day she and Riley would actually meet. The most impossible thought known to man and emotion, but Joy still held on to it.

Where there was goodness, there was belief. Where there was belief, there was hope.

And the hope was still present as Joy, once more, raised her hand toward the the screen. Imagining the feel of simply caressing Riley's cheek, followed by the soft patting upon her cute little pigtails, Joy's heart sang once more for the child. Completely unaware of the others who regarded her curiously, she slowly lowered her hand down. She then raised both her arms upward. Opening her palms, she held them in a scooping position, her hands forming a ring that hooked itself to the image that was Riley. Joy leaned her head forward a little, smiling as she gave the atmosphere a hug.

"Mommy's here, sweetheart," she murmured softly, her arms not even remotely tired.

A scoff broke her out of her trance, and Joy glanced over her shoulder to see Disgust giving her an eerie gaze. The others were rather discomforted as she was, with Fear playing with his hands and Anger looking, well, not angry, but more confused. Sadness almost looked concerned.

"Seriously, Joy?" the green emotion sighed. "You're not really her mom. You know that right?"

Although Disgust meant well, that statement was almost a fire-heated jab of iron into Joy's heart. Since first meeting the others one by one, each of them had a say about her constant obsession that was Riley.

Sadness pointed out that Riley had her own parents to do the stuff Joy always did upon her images, which was rather depressing. Fear had gone over the various reasons why being this "loving" to someone who wasn't even aware of her was considerably unhealthy, and would lead to continuous heartbreak. Anger did his best to be sensitive on the matter, informing Joy air hugs and one-person conversations with Riley meant nothing, that the only thing she could do for the kid was simply make her feel right, especially in the presence of her own parents. And Disgust, as she tried not to be brutal in her honesty, clarified that there were bigger concerns about Riley than simply letting her know she was loved. She probably wouldn't even care that a mere emotion who represented happiness could feel other things as well, especially for a human child.

It hurt to be reminded again, like her dreams slowly being squeezed every time her friends pointed the obvious out. But she still clung to hope that maybe one day a miracle could happen. Just not now.

"Well..." Joy muttered as she turned back to the screen, seeing Riley toss her toy around appeasing her. "I'd at least like to think so..."

Disgust sighed, her face faltering as she gave Joy an expression of both annoyance and pity. "You're not human, Joy."

The yellow emotion didn't dare turn around, for worry that the others might notice possible tears welling in her blue eyes. And Joy had never cried ever.

"I'd at least like to think that too..." she said, hoping the crumble in her tone didn't give her away.

The green emotion sighed once more, wishing she could understand Joy a little more. Since arriving at HQ, her job had basically been to save Riley from the disgusting foods her parents were stupid enough to try and feed her. Joy had done so much more: making her laugh, making her feel light on her feet, and making her feel like she had the entire world on a silver platter. Disgust knew the one-sided bond was everything to Joy, but just how far would she go just to prove that Riley meant more to her than someone's head she lived inside of?

Disgust was not exactly the most compatible being to most individuals who resided in Riley's head. But that didn't mean she had no heart. Her honesty was still brutal, but her words were usually for the right reasons. For Joy, it was simply telling her that she couldn't be Mrs. Anderson. Just Riley's joy.

Fortunately for both of them, Fear intervened. Although his expression wasn't hostile, the look he gave the green emotion was almost too serious he could have passed himself off as Anger.

"Hey, Joy's just enjoying her job," he pointed out in a slightly sharp tone. "To an extent, of course..." he added hastily.

Disgust frowned a bit, folding her arms tighter. "I'm just trying to get through her that Riley already has a family. I mean, what's family if you don't even know they exist?"

Again, the imaginary flaming iron pressed deeper into Joy's heart as she tried not to listen. Focusing on Riley whose bubbly laugh warmed her spirits, the yellow emotion kept reminding herself that love was always true. In every shape and form, whether or not someone was aware of it.

Anger noticed her shoulders slump a little before glaring over at Disgust. "Hey, zip it, drama queen..." he grunted under his breath. He jerked his head in Joy's direction.

The other emotions took notice of this before Disgust finally learned to button her lips. It was very rare to see Joy like this, and it almost scared them. However, thankfully, it didn't last too long as Joy's glow gave its usual brightness, and she began to speak conversationally.

"Look how so full of life Riley is," she said, almost in a trance.

Anger took this as a cue to placate them from the recent awkwardness. "Yeah, but she's still a handful to care of!"

Disgust rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time. "Please! How much trouble can a toddler get into? It's not like anything bad will happen to her."

However, at that moment, as Riley was wandering past the coffee table, she somehow tripped over her dad's abandoned pair of shoes. The child squeaked before falling with a plop onto the wooden floor, stuffed animal dropped from her hands and laying in front of her. Joy and the other emotions gasped, their eyes widening in horror. Fear nearly suffered a severe panic attack as the curl that was his hair deflated at the sight. They could only watch as the little girl began to whimper, looking at her tiny hands that were splayed like two lilypads upon the cold, hard surface.

"Oh, no..." Joy muttered before she reached for the controls.

Fear sent Disgust a hardened glare. "You jinxed her!" he accused, pointing at the green emotion with a finger.

Disgust frowned, fighting the urge to slap that hand away from her face. So suddenly Fear had some nerve? Especially toward her?

"Hello! Excuse me!" she denied. "I didn't do anything."

"Hey, your negative attitude got Riley hurt!" Anger added, his red hands bunching into fists. "You said it out loud, you hurt the kid!"

"What?" she argued. "That's ridiculous! You know I would never do anything bad to Riley"

Sadness felt her big, blue eyes well up with tears. Just the sight of Riley laying helpless on her belly with her toy out of her hands made the glasses-sporting emotion feel all sorts of misery. Sadness clasped her hands against her mouth, trying to conceal her need to just burst out her hurt for this image. She glanced over to see Joy was even harder at work, pressing buttons and flipping switches to access further into Riley.

"Hang on, sweetie!" the yellow emotion muttered desperately as her fingers danced across the controls. "Okay, get the toy...get the toy..."

Fear was on the verge of fainting, watching as Riley's hands continued clawing at the wooden floor. "Oh, please don't cry!" he begged toward the screen.

Sadness began to whimper as much as Riley was at the moment. Her lips trembled as she watched the child strenuously shift her body to rise up once more. Anger swallowed, slightly discomforted by the expression on Riley's face.

"Holy cow, where are mom and dad?" he demanded aloud, slamming his fists onto the panel. "It's like they're doing this on purpose just so we can do all the work around here!"

"Are you joking?" Disgust nearly screeched, on the edge as her heart paced at the same rate as a race car. "What can we even do? We're in her head! I doubt we can do anything that'll calm her down!"

Joy bit her lip as she kept pressing buttons. Riley did manage to roll onto her belly, picking up her doll in the process. The yellow emotion was relieved when she saw the little girl's feet plopped in front of her. However, the soft whimpers and slight rocking of her sides immediately worried Joy once more. Riley began to fling her toy up and down, her moans mixed with hiccups that scared all five of the emotions.

"Oh, no, she better not cry!" Joy exclaimed.

"Maybe after a good cry she'll be okay?" Sadness suggested, wiping her eyes. But the leading emotion refused to acknowledge this suggestion.

Fear placed his hands upon his head, his teeth grinding uncontrollably as he watched Riley become a little more violent with her stuffed animal. This was all damaging, and it frightened him to see the poor kid so unruly from that fall. Toddlers always had the worst reactions, and they would nearly get out of control. And that spoke volumes to the purple emotion who knew that disaster was just around the corner.

"What'll we do?" he screamed.

Their concerns grew more unsteady when Riley let the toy drop from her hands. She hardly paid much attention to it as she rubbed her palms upon her chubby cheeks. She began to lower her head, her small grunts and squeaky groans terrifying them even more.

"Dang it!" Anger roared. "Let's just make her scream until mom and dad finally get their butts in here!"

"No!" Joy immediately protested, her eyes the size of swimming pools. "Riley's our responsibility!"

She desperately tried to think of another attempt without the involvement of Mr. and Mrs. Anderson. Every press and click on the panel did little improvement as Riley's voice pained the yellow emotion's heart further. If Joy could, her arms would wrap around the little blonde and embrace her. Like she always dreamed. There just had to be some way she could calm Riley down! After all, she was one of the voices in her head!

"Leave this to me!" Joy insisted, rubbing her forehead and trying to think of any options.

Anger raised his eyes at her. He knew she was trying to think the way a mother would. But it was impossible, especially in this situation. He almost wanted to explode in her face and remind her that she was not Mrs. Anderson. But he rarely seen Joy, the most positive out of all of them, this overwhelmed. His remark might worsen both her and Riley.

Joy breathed in before exhaling. Last thing the group wanted was another Fear to complicate things further. She could only gaze at the screen, watching Riley with her head down and a miserable expression on her face. Joy just wanted to cry with her.

Her fingers tapped upon the panel, her brows furrowed as she tried to think of an idea. Riley was still murmuring under her breath, appearing quiet yet still vaguely upset. The yellow emotion thought back to various memories that had either of her parents fixing these sort of problems. There had been one where Riley's dad did funny faces when she had to get her shot. And that one time where he mom rocked her when a storm arrived. And there was especially that moment when she hummed while Riley was taking a warm bath-

Joy's eyes widened in realization, her lips forming in the shape of an "o". Ignoring the others who were rambling amongst themselves about what to do for Riley, she dashed off. The four emotions watched her in confusion as she reached the large section of memory orbs, each one that shone a glorious yellow as she did.

"Joy, what are you doing?" Disgust called out. "Okay, this is no time to play catch with those things! I thought you were supposed to be Riley's "mom" or whatever!"

But Joy didn't even hear her as she raced toward the projector where every memory inserted would play an image in Riley's head. From time to time Joy would pick a few from the shelves at random and play them for both her and Riley to look at. While Riley always had a memory play in her head that always brought out the most positive in her, Joy watched up close and personal as if she was part of it. And every memory she played she would do just that, like the first steps Riley had taken into her mother's arms.

The others watched in even more confusion as she slid the orb into a slot, then switched the entire machine on. Soon enough a large image plastered itself upon the screen, covering up part of Riley's face in the process. It was the memory of that night Mrs. Anderson put Riley to bed. The little girl had been restless and jumpy, refusing to sleep. Her mom settled her with a bit of rocking, followed by a lullaby. And that knocked Riley right out.

"Yeah, cute..." Disgust said uneasily before glancing back at Joy, "but how does this help?"

Joy beamed as she raced back to the control panel and set her fingers in motion. They were a complete blur, pressing random buttons as her eyes scanned from the image, Riley, and back to the controls. Finally, she found what she was looking for and pressed a certain button that sounded almost like a doorbell.

Everyone nearly jumped when a small square suddenly revealed itself on the floor, glowing a neon white. No one ever noticed that before, so it was pretty shocking to realize something new in their headquarters all of a sudden. With a pop, the square opened like a treasure chest, revealing an odd object that seemed to be attached deep within the floor itself. Seconds later a long device slowly emerged. The emotions never noticed that before either, let alone even knew that was one of the things that came with the control center itself.

It was a microphone connected to a pole so it would hang out toward whoever would use it.

The four emotions just gawked at it, wondering what specialty would it even make in a moment like this. They watched as Joy slowly approached it, hands wringing out as if she just washed them. She leaned her body toward it, tapping the mic gently. Fear shuddered as the impact created a powerful sound that echoed throughout the headquarters, but not too loud to irritate Disgust's "sensitive" ears.

They all watched in confusion as Joy began clearing her throat. The yellow emotion took a few deep breaths. Then she closed her eyes for a second, then fluttered them open as she gazed up at the screen. The image of Riley's mother during that night and the toddler in her current state both within her view.

And Joy sang.

The second star to the right

Shines in the night for you

To tell you that the dreams you plan

Really can come true

The memory onscreen was placed on mute, like a silent film as Joy used her voice to substitute Mrs. Anderson's. The other emotions gawked at her as she allowed the angelic tone to escape from her lips, singing a song they were pretty sure had been off some movie Riley's parents let her watch. But her version of it...it was simply astounding.

Out of all of them, Joy was the most absorbed with music. She was the only one who actually knew how to play an accordion, and she always encouraged Riley's desire to wiggle her toes when some nice beat played from the car radio. This was probably not the first time she sang to her. But it was the first time the emotions witnessed it. And they were just blow away.

Sadness's glasses slid at the edge of her nose as she watched Joy sing lovingly to Riley. The blue emotion just wanted to cry. Not out of depression but because something so beautiful was worth crying for.

Anger found himself leaning against the control panel, feeling a little lighter as he listened to Joy. There was always something odd that she would do that usually made him question her motivation. This one needed no questioning.

Fear's hands fell to their sides, almost limp as he watched the leading emotion sing sweetly. Her soothing tone even calmed him down, and he nearly forgot what exactly he had just been worried about moments ago.

Disgust had to admit Joy was quite the vocalist. In fact, the usually judgmental emotion was incredibly impressed. Not just by the fact Joy could sing much better than Disgust secretly wished she could, but the fact she would go this far just for Riley. She placed that memory of the child and Mrs. Anderson there for a reason, and Joy was simply making it much better in the mind that was Riley's.

The four of them found themselves thinking that Joy's singing might just work on calming Riley down. Even though they doubted she could actually hear her voice, but more figuratively in her head.

And it seemed to be working.

Somehow Joy's voice echoed through Riley's mind like a personal speaker that sent sound waves into her system. The others watched in utter amazement as Riley began to slowly calm down, as if Joy was really there because she was sweetening her thoughts with one small voice. Now Riley began to relax, lifting her head and the view of the living room window was seen on their screen. By now Joy had already put away the memory she had been using, but she still sang because she wanted to please her child further. They watched as Riley finally picked up her toy, giggling softly before holding it close to her chest.

The singing was working, just as Joy knew it would because this was one of Riley's favorite lullabies. A lullaby only a mother would know.

She may not be Mrs. Anderson, but her love was still as powerful as hers. And the yellow emotion was certain the others felt the same way, even though they still treated all this like merely a job they could never quit. Hopefully, this experience will make them think further about what exactly they were working for.

Her blue eyes sparkled as Riley's head lowered, pressing herself to her toy as she closed her eyes. She then lowered onto her belly once more, the wooden floor closing in on the screen as they watched her murmur adorably. Fear would have said that if she were to nap right now, she needed to get back to her crib or some softer surface. But he said nothing, allowing Joy to guide and comfort Riley.

Laying on the floor, her head and belly down with the toy as her pillow, Riley's eyes slowly fluttered closed. Her tiny pigtails fell over her eyes, her cheek rubbed against her doll as the brightness of sunlight fell over her form. She pressed her thumb to her lips, sucking it as she allowed her entire body to rest.

Anger gazed at the heart-melting sight, his mouth falling in awe as he watched their child curl herself up like a little puppy. However, when Disgust turned to him, seeing his usually hostile eyes become glassy, he looked away. He grumbled under his breath about Riley finally giving them a break, but Joy knew deep down he was going to cherish this moment.

They all would.

Joy smiled to herself as the song finished. She looked up at the screen, then raised a hand to it. Somehow she was sure Riley could feel the yellow emotion caressing her little head.

"Sleep well, sweetheart," she spoke softly to the image that was their child.

Riley was now still and napping, her thoughts calmed down and the feel of her special toy bringing more happiness to her slumber. Joy beamed, placing the microphone back into its compartment, the square panel closing and looking as it was before. The situation had ended on a positive note, and best of all Riley would be in an even sweeter mood once she woke up. Joy smiled to herself as she continued looking at the screen, drinking in the image that was their precious Riley. The other emotions merely kept silent, in awe and amazement that Joy had accomplished something so difficult.

Like the way Riley's mom would have done it.

She really did care so much about Riley, even though the child would never realize that her most prized emotion thought the world of her. But Joy knew Riley could feel it, and she would always remember this particular feeling. This, no doubt, was going to be another one for the imaginary scrapbook.

She turned and grinned at her fellow emotions, all simply gawking at her that she had done the impossible. Anger cleared his throat, fiddling with his tie nervously.

"Wow...that was something..." he muttered.

"And you actually calmed her down!" Fear added in amazement.

Disgust glanced down at the control panel, wondering if there was anymore surprises it could do. "Well, finally!" she scoffed. "Guess the work's done for today."

Joy chuckled. "Who says we're done? While she's asleep, let's get to working on some special dreams for her!"

"Is that really necessarily?" Anger groaned. "Can't we give her another blank space again?"

"Of course not!" the yellow emotion said. "Look, I'll take over the temporal dream duty and just slip in a dream she had before. You guys can just watch."

Anger himself couldn't stop watching Riley sleep. He had to admit it was pretty cute. He stopped himself when he found one of his hands nearly raise up toward the screen. That was a close one, and thankfully no one noticed, and hopefully not Joy either!

"She's going to be fine, right?" he couldn't help but ask aloud. "I mean, if she wakes up needing a diaper change and mom and dad don't get their butts in gear, I'm taking over this joint!"

Joy beamed. "Aww, see? Look how much you worry about her!" she gushed. "Sooner or later one of you will be singing to Riley next when it's time for her to go to bed!"

That last sentence terrified them. Was she really serious?

"How about one of you does it tonight?" she encouraged.

They just stared at her for a few moments...then Fear, Disgust, and Sadness immediately took a step back.

"Why, Anger, that's so sweet of you!" Joy cheered.

The red emotion blinked in realization before he peered over his shoulder to see the distance the other three made between him.

"Wait, what?" he cried in alarm.

She gestured toward the screen, the sight of Riley sucking her thumb making her gush even more. "You can sing to Riley tonight after mom and dad tuck her in!"

Anger felt his eyes twitch at the thought. He placed his hands on his waist and gave her an eerie expression.

"Joy, you know I do not sing."

"Well, there's always a first time for everything!" she assured him. "I mean, what could go wrong with you singing her a little lullaby?"

"Riley waking up in the middle of the night screaming..." Fear mentioned, counting off his fingers. "...Insomnia...possible crankiness...mom and dad getting possible crankiness...refusal to consume at breakfast...mom and dad possibly arguing over Riley's lack of sleep-"

"WE GET IT!" Anger shouted at him, his head practically spurting flames out of annoyance.

Fear squeaked before hiding behind Sadness and Disgust. He looked over the former, smiling sheepishly at the other male emotion.

Anger sighed before turning back to Joy, a defeated look on his face. "He does have a point, Joy."

"But this is for Riley," she mentioned. "And don't you want her to have a special moment with Daddy Anger?" she added with a giggle.

He glared at her, planning on getting back at Disgust for implanting that name into Joy's mind. "You're really taking this parental stuff seriously, aren't you?"

"Wait a minute..." Fear spoke, looking over Sadness, "if he's the dad, what does that make me?"

Neither heard him as Joy gazed at Anger almost pleadingly.

"Come on, Anger," she begged, "at least for one night. Riley's not going to be a baby forever."

The puppy expression she was giving him was enough to drive him over the edge. He let out a loud groan, practically impersonating Disgust as he threw his hands up in surrender.

"Okay, I'll do it!" he shouted. "After tonight, we never speak of this again!" He turned toward the others. "Got it?"

The others muttered in agreement, Fear crossing his heart and hoping not to die.

Anger turned to Joy. "Alright, I'll do it for Riley. And for you."

Disgust huffed, folding her arms. "What makes her so special?"

Joy grinned that she nearly jumped in excitement. "Oh, wonderful! I got a list of all the songs Riley's parents played for her! This will be so much fun!"

"Yay..." Anger muttered.

He heard snickering behind him and glared over his shoulder at the other emotions. Fear and Sadness kept their word, but Disgust could barely hold it. One hand clutched her belly while the other clasped over her mouth, unable to suppress her laughter. Anger jeered in her direction, gritting his teeth as he felt his head heat up.

Meanwhile Joy was already searching for the CDs that had all of Riley's favorite songs so far. Anger glanced once more at the screen to see Riley was still asleep. He had to admit it was sort of adorable the way she laid on the floor, cuddled with her toy, and her pigtails sticking out. He hated to think what the others would realize should they ever see him actually melting at the sight.

It was a few moments before Joy approached him with a CD case of all the songs they could choose from. Her surrounding essence glowed brighter as she grinned at him.

"I know exactly what song you can sing for Riley tonight!" she told him.

"Oh, yeah, the one you just did?" he asked unenthusiastically.

"Actually..."

She bent down and showed him one CD in particular. Anger's eyes widened the moment he read the title.

"ARE YOU FLIPPIN' KIDDING ME?"
_

Riley giggled as her dad bounced her up and down while held against his chest. Mrs. Anderson sat on a nearby chair, smiling as her husband continued to enlighten their daughter before it was time for bed. Her night light was already on atop the dresser next to her crib, and the monitor was already on for another evening and hooked to it. Mr. Anderson already gave Riley her story, and after a few rides on his shoulders, it was time for her to go to bed.

Gently laying her down among her blankets and toys, he smiled over his daughter before bending over the rail and kissing her forehead.

"Goodnight, Riley," he told her lovingly before he and his wife exited out of the room, closing the door behind them.

The toddler lightly sucked on her finger, gazing up at all the glow-in-the-dark stars her parents had attached to her bedroom. He eyes glimmered with satisfaction, not at all sleepy as she wanted to enjoy the evening out of her crib.

Inside her head, the emotions were already standing at their usual places in front of the control panel. Only this time they took a step back to allow Anger and Joy more access. The former glared in Disgust's direction as she snickered under her breath. Growling, he turned to see Joy had already set up the microphone for him.

"Alright, Anger," she instructed, "just as I showed you."

He had a nervous feeling at the pit of his stomach, and part of him just wanted to bail. But he already made a promise, and the last thing he wanted was disappointing Joy. And possibly Riley if she was even aware of all this.

Fear, Sadness, and Disgust watched from the couch as Joy set the music up. It was a song Joy mentioned Mr. Anderson played the moment Riley was home for the very first time since her birth. It was amazing to believe she kept track of every single piece the child's parents had played for her.

Anger made a face, unsure if he could really go through with this. But Joy's encouraging smile only got wider, giving him the thumbs up as the music began to sound. To his ears it almost sounded too soft and boring. The perfect kind to make Riley fall asleep instantly.

He gazed at the screen, watching the toddler gaze up at the plastic stars with interest. Her mind was now opened to him, and it was better late than never.

Finally, after much muttering about how stupid he felt, he began to sing.

Isn't she lovely?

Isn't she wonderful?

Isn't she precious?

Less than one minute old

The other three emotions watched in complete shock. For someone who had a mean-spirited tone that usually came off in shouts and yells, he actually sounded pretty...nice. As if he was actually putting some heart into it! Joy was especially impressed, laying her head in her hands as she watched between him and Riley on screen. Already the child felt aware of the vibrations that was Anger's voice.

And judging by her expression, she was enjoying it.

Anger felt a drop of sweat slide down the side of his cubic face, hoping that he wasn't embarrassing himself further. Joy's face assured him, but then again she was the optimistic one, good or bad whatever it was.

However, when he looked up and saw Riley's face, he felt his heart soften just a bit more. Riley was snuggled against her blanket, her eyes rather droopy yet dreamy. There was no apprehension in her facial features, just a tired smiled as she continued sucking her thumb.

It was one of the most precious images Anger never thought he, of all the emotions, could ever create.

He was grateful when the music slowly ended and he finally finished the song. Pushing away the mic, he winced a little before looking back at Joy. Her smile was vibrant and very pleased.

"See? Now wasn't that fun?"

He just muttered under his breath, shifting his feet a little. They were joined by the other emotions, all of which offered actual positive feedback.

"Anger, that was..." Fear spoke, "...just wow!"

"That was pretty nice," Sadness crooned, adjusting her glasses.

Disgust glanced at her fingers for a moment, then looked over Anger. A hint of a smile played on her lips.

"Not bad."

Anger fought down the blush that threatened to rise from his cheeks. Pink was not something he liked mixed with red. He brushed all these comments aside, while deep down Joy knew how astounded and pleased he was with himself.

The yellow emotion looked back toward the screen. Her heart fluttered like a dove toward a sunset as she watched Riley slumber. The other emotions took notice, and each of them smiled as they watched their child sleep. It was something they hardly recognized while working until one of them had dream duty. But even during that portion of their job none of them took the time to even watch Riley like this.

None of them realized what a truly beautiful, perfect little girl they had been fortunate to be part of.

Anger dared to lift a hand, though not to high for anyone to notice. His bulky fingers caressed the air in which the image of Riley was part of. So this was how Joy felt every single time...

"Sleep tight, kiddo," he mumbled, not caring if the others heard.

He noticed Joy turn to look at him, her blue eyes glittering even in the dimness of the light itself. She just smiled at him, her expression sweet that it made him lower his gaze with embarrassment. Joy just giggled softly before turning back to the screen. Behind her the other emotions stood, drinking in the precious sight each of them were fortunate to be part of.

"I love you, Riley," Joy spoke toward the child. "We all do."

Anger merely nodded, smiling to himself as he watched Riley continue to suck her thumb.

Maybe lullabies weren't such a bad thing after all.
_

The songs were "Second Star to the Right" from the Peter Pan movie, and "Isn't She Lovely?" by Stevie Wonder. ;)