Disclaimer: Nope, not mine.

A/N: Wow, it's been a while. I hit a block with this, and life has been busy. I was trying to determine whether I wanted this one to actually have an overt point, and couldn't, for a long time. As is, it's just some fun little vignettes, nothing really serious. I just took the characters out for a spin. Hope you enjoy!

I stand on tiptoe, craning my neck in every direction. Really, people shouldn't be this tall. It should be, I don't know, a crime or something.

I'm at the arrivals gate at National, because Suzy's coming home today.

Suzy's coming home today, for the holidays.

It'll be the first time she's been home since the summer, right before she went to New York in the first place. She calls a lot, per parental directive. She also sees Toby, who's spending his time gleefully terrorizing undergrads at NYU, quite a bit. Once again per parental directive. Despite everyone's assertions that she's doing fine, doing wonderfully, I won't believe it until I see her for myself.

There she is. My heart swells in my chest, and I have to order myself to get a grip. I'm on strict orders not to…emotionally implode, in any manner.

"Suzy!"

She's tall, and beautiful, and when she turns and sees me her entire face lights up, and I know why they're so crazy to photograph her up there.

But then, I've always known.

Why the hell did I wear these shoes? Sure, they look good, but my feet are killing me. A bench, a bench, my kingdom for a bench…

"Suzy!"

Dad? What's he doing here? My father always has somewhere to be, in the middle of the day. But he's here. Well. Yay.

He's got on his sunglasses, and he's flashing me that mega-watt grin, and it's so normal, so familiar, that this joy bubbles up on me, faster than I can tamp it down. I don't much care, though, because I'm too busy flinging myself at him.

I suddenly feel inexplicably uneasy. I've been counting the days, and now she's finally here, but…it seems different. She looks trendy, and classy, and adult, in jeans, a white button-down shirt, and a brown leather jacket. She's got a new perfume, too. Adult again. Expensive.

I don't quite know how to approach her, so I settle for cocking an eyebrow at her. Yes. That's a suitably inscrutable expression. It must work, 'cause she blushes slightly. "What?" she asks.

"Nothin'."

"What?"

"Nothing!"

She rolls her eyes at me. "Honestly, Daddy." There we go. There's my Suzy. "You must have really missed me, huh?"

"Who, me?" I smile wickedly. "Nah. Why would I want you around? Anyway, you ready to blow this joint? Let's get out of here."

As we near the doors, I shiver, both with excitement and as a result of the cold wind. Of course, my father, usually so clueless, notices immediately. "Baby, you cold?"

"I'm fine."

He starts to shrug out of his overcoat. "Here, take this."

"I'm fine."

"It's no problem-"

"Dad."

"Right."

We stand for a few minutes, waiting for a cab, and I hate to admit it, but I am getting cold. Especially my hands. I feel my pockets, realizing that for some unknown reason I decided to pack my gloves. Damn. Surreptitiously, I glance at my father's pockets, looking for the telltale bulge. There. Maybe if I-

"Susanna, take the gloves."

Oh. Okay.

Stubborn as a mule. A very pretty mule, but still, you know, a mule. Donna says she gets it from me.

I have absolutely no idea what she's talking about.

But back to Suzy. Like, right now, her shoes are bothering her, I can tell. But has she said anything? Made a single peep? Nope. Nope nope nope. Well, if she's not saying anything, I'm definitely not saying anything. Nope. Not me. Not a word. Not a single-

"So. Those are nice shoes, there."

She turns to me and smirks. "I knew it. I knew you wouldn't be able to do it."

"Do what?"

"Go ten minutes without mentioning the fact that my shoes look uncomfortable."

"I didn't say that! Well, maybe indirectly," I amend, in response to her pointed look. "God, you sound just like your mother. Anyway," I ask, as we get into the cab and she slides her shoes off with a grateful sigh, "why'd you wear those shoes, anyway? You're already tall enough."

She shoots me a satisfied, smug smile, and says loftily, "Because I can." She pauses, and then adds, "And to make CJ weep with envy, of course."

I grin at her. "That's my girl."

"Those shoes are fabulous!" CJ leans down to examine them more closely. Suzy smiles, and Josh attempts to stifle a guffaw. I glare at him, then turn my attention back to CJ and the others, who are busy peppering my daughter with questions.

"How was the flight?"

"Fine. Fabulous actually; I got some sleep. Afterwards, though…"

"What happened?"

She rolls her eyes, then exhales. "Oh, nothing. Some loser ogled me by the baggage claim." The women all murmur sympathetically, and I steal a glance at Josh, already picturing the look on his face. Yup, there we go, he's turning red. God, the man is reliable as Old Faithful.

"A guy leered at you by the baggage claim?"

"Yes. Jeez, Daddy, it's not as though it's never happened before. I'm a tall, leggy blonde; I'm used to it. Anyway, nothing happened. I shot him the Glare of Death and he stopped."

"What if that hadn't been enough?" And there's the agitated squeaking, right on schedule.

"She could always impale him on one of her shoes," JJ chimes in with a grin. Suzy shoots him a dirty look, and everyone relaxes. JJ tugs on Josh's sleeve, indicating the kitchen with a jerk of his head. "Come on, Dad, let's go speak as men do. Come on, guys."

The men are heading towards the kitchen when Chris adopts a deliberately perplexed expression. "Hey. Does that, you know, include me, or…?" He grins.

JJ rolls his eyes. "For God's sake, Chris," he mutters, and hustles Chris off to the kitchen. Just before he enters, JJ turns around and winks, and we all grin at him. God, it's good to have everyone here again.

For some unfathomable reason, Josh decided to brave the holiday crowds and take Suzy to a movie. I know they've returned when I hear the strains of a spirited conversation of some sort becoming louder and louder. Josh enters first, with his smarmy stubborn face on, and Suzy follows, alternately issuing comebacks and tugging bits off of a bright gummy worm with her teeth.

I should have known. Ever since I can remember, Suzy's been fascinated by the concept of those Pick n' Mix centers, that she can get all sorts of candies at once. She's always picked the most disgusting, the most garish treats I've ever laid eyes on. Josh loves to make his little girl happy though, and so the tradition stuck. I'm glad she's not too old for it. I think Josh would be heartbroken otherwise. Still, I have to protest for appearance's sake.

"Really, Susanna, after all the money we spent on orthodontia…"

She takes another bite of her gummy worm, grinning guiltily, and I turn to my husband. "Josh?"

He fidgets. "You can't argue with tradition, Donna. And besides, aren't you the one who gorged on those peach things when you were pregnant with her?"

"You were more than happy to ply me with them, as I recall," I retort.

"Only because I feared the retribution…" He turns to Suzy. "Hormones," he says matter-of-factly, and I glare at him.

"Well, at least I saved our son from your unhealthy indulgences," I sniff as JJ jogs down the stairs.

"Hey, did anybody get me gummy bears?" he asks breathlessly.

Josh scowls at him. "What do I look like, a personal delivery service?" But then he grabs a bulging plastic bag from his pocket and tosses it at JJ. "Here."

"Hey, thanks, Dad."

"No sweat." He grins a happy little grin.

And this is the man who boasts of making Republicans cry? Honestly.