Chapter 1: One More Ride

"All right, my girls! Who is ready to paint the town in the Happiest Place on Earth?" Phil Dunphy burst through the turnstile to join his wife and daughter, complete with a ridiculous fanny pack. Strapping Haley into her booster stroller, Claire appraised her husband with a beaming smile behind her sun hat and shades.

Almost four years of marriage, and she still found new ways to fall in love with this dorky man every day. What's more, he was the apple of their little Haley's eye. At not quite 3 and a half, she and her father were inseparable.

"Mommy, I... I wanna go Small World!" Haley babbled, pointing in the general direction of the park.

Phil knelt down next to the stroller, eyes wide. "You wanna go on It's a Small World? Well, then let's get to those boats! We'll do it the way Titanic taught us!"

"More like didn't teach us," Claire reminded him with a smirk.

"Honey, it's the principle of the thing," Phil deadpanned dryly. "Besides, I knew I had gotten lucky when you were sobbing over Leonardo DiCaprio hours after leaving the cinema."

The little family of three waited in line and finally boarded a boat. Phil had surprised his wife and daughter with their first Disneyland vacation together as a Christmas present. As the boat set off, Claire bounced Haley in her lap and guided her inquisitive eyes, pointing to all the puppets bouncing around. Phil sang along way too loudly and way too enthusiastically, but it made Haley giggle, which was worth all the treasures in the world.

"It's a small world, after all... It's a small world after all..." Phil was a little off-key, which caused some people in the row in front to glance back. Claire just smiled and shrugged.

"Look at this stuff... isn't it neat? Wouldn't you think my collection's complete?..."

The TV echoed from the next room as Claire finished preparing for bed in their hotel suite that night.

"Haley? Baby, in a minute we gotta turn Ariel off - it's time to go to sleep," Claire called as she crossed into the main living area. She paused, heart melting at the sight. Her little girl was curled up on the pull-out couch, clutching her teddy bear and fast asleep. Smiling softly, Claire switched the TV off and maneuvered her baby under the covers. A wave of debilitating love swept over her while taking in her daughter's peaceful face, and she kissed her forehead. "Sweet dreams, my little princess."

Stealing into the master bedroom, Claire softly closed the door behind her.

"She's asleep?" Phil emerged from the bathroom.

"Mmm-hmmm. She sleeps like you."

"You know, I'll take that as a compliment," her husband laughed. The couple turned down the comforters and crawled into bed together, Claire snuggling into his chest.

"Phil? When you were little, did you have a lot of crushes?"

He beamed down at her, stroking her hair. "I'm still having one." Heart fluttering, they shared a soft kiss, Claire's heart clenching in love.

And... passion.

"Let's have another baby," she whispered into Phil's lips. The thought was voiced impulsively, and Phil drew away in surprise. But he also appeared... pleased.

"Really? You think we're ready?"

"Absolutely," Claire nodded. Pushing him onto his back, she moved to straddle him. "Make love to me, Phil..."

"Haley..."

"... won't wake up until morning. I need you, baby..."

Kissing heatedly, Phil and Claire reverently undressed each other. Soon, Claire was riding him, kissing him and raking her hands down his toned chest as she threw back her head with a moan. "Phil..." She came hard.

"God, I love you, Claire!" Phil gave one last thrust before he followed. Floating down from their high, the couple cuddled their sweaty, naked bodies together and fell into a deep sleep.