Author Note: Yeah, it's been forever. Sorry, I'm pond scum for not updating… but it's this chapter and then one more and we're done folks! Enjoy…

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Before Josh even knew what he was saying, the words tumbled out of his mouth. "Drea, are you marrying Brian to escape me?"

She hesitated. Finally, very softly, "Yeah."

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A silence enveloped the room where the fractured family sat. Josh was afraid to speak, CJ was speechless and Drea was too busy collecting the tears that were steaming down her cheeks.

"Drea, I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I am," Josh began.

"No, Dad, don't. Don't start that," Drea held up her hand. "That road will take us right back where we were. I know you're sorry. And I'm sorry that I've been such a brat. You probably deserved some of what I dished out to you, but definitely not all of it."

"Drea, where do you want to go from here?" CJ spoke up.

"Not down an aisle, I can tell you that much," she replied. "I honestly don't know. I don't think that it would be a good idea if I live in this house, but I know I can't marry Brian. Dad, I love you and I forgive you, but I don't think that it would be a good idea if we lived under the same roof right now."

Josh nodded in agreement. "You could probably call the Bartlet's and stay with them for a while."

CJ chuckled, "Joshua, did you forget what your daughter did for a living? New Hampshire isn't exactly convenient for her."

"Actually, Dad, I was thinking of maybe Nashville."

"What's there?"

"A recording contract with Kerstin's record company," Drea smiled.

"Are you serious?" Josh's eyes went wide. "You're going to live near Brian?"

She shook her head, "Not really. After we got married, Brian was going to go to Syracuse while I did…well, I'm not quite sure what I thought I was going to do, but he's Syracuse bound in the fall."

"Well, then, sure. You know your mom and I are behind you 100 whatever you end up doing," Josh replied.

"Just make sure you're 100 behind me from a distance for a while, ok?" Drea warned.

"Are we on probation?" Josh joked.

"Yeah, that's exactly what you're on."

Josh rolled his eyes. CJ rose and made her way to the kitchen. Grabbing the portable phone, she handed it to Drea. Drea's eyes went wide and her mouth silently formed an 'oh'.

"What am I going to do with that Mom?" Drea asked nervously.

"You're going to call Brian and tell him everything that just happened in the past five minutes. And you're going to do it now, Rebecca Andrea Lyman and you're not going to give me any lip about it. Mother knows best," CJ replied authoritatively.

"It's been a long time since I believed that," Drea said quietly. Reaching for the phone, she closed her eyes for the briefest moment before beginning to dial the numbers she knew so well.

"Brian? It's me. Yeah, so we have to talk."

She rose quietly and made her way to the bedroom.

Josh and CJ looked at each other for a long moment before CJ finally moved to fold Josh into her embrace.

"I'm proud of you, Papa Lyman," she whispered into his ear.

"Really?" Josh spoke back softly.

"More than you know, Joshua. You just won back our daughter."

"Yeah, I did, didn't I?"

CJ groaned, "I just fed the ego didn't I?"

"Yup, you definitely did that," Josh replied.

CJ laughed and broke the embrace. "Remember what Bartlet told you the night that Lis called you on the plane?"

"That I wanted a girl?"

"Yeah. You understand now?"

Josh paused for a moment and looked at the closed bedroom door for a long moment before finally answering his beloved. "Yeah, Claudia Jean. I think I finally understand."