A/N This was a little drabble I wrote for my friend Terrijane's birthday (which was ages ago). She is a fantastic supporter of Banna fanfic and an all-around great person.

As always, I don't own… I also don't own any rights to the song "Forever and ever, Amen" sung by Randy Travis.

John was dozing over his book when he heard the baby's cry. At first he thought he had dreamed it, but by the time he took his glasses off and placed them on his nightstand Lily had cried out again. He shot up from the bed and made his way to the door as quickly as possible, hoping that he could get to the baby before she woke Anna, who was finally getting some sleep now that Lily had slept through the night for the past three nights.

As he approached his daughter's crib, he saw her rolling back and forth on her back waving her favorite stuffed toy in front of her face.

John leaned over her crib, smiling, "What are you doing up at this time Little Love? You're supposed to be sleeping like Mummy."

He reached in and ran the tip of his finger under his daughter's chin. He was absolutely delighted when his efforts were rewarded by a giggle from his four and a half month old girl.

"You're just a little charmer aren't you Lily Margaret? Yes you are. Yes you are," he cooed as he used one large hand to completely cover her stomach and rock her back and forth.

In her fit of giggles, Lily inadvertently plunged the edge of her toy into her eye and began to cry. John quickly scooped her into his arms and pressed her into his chest in an effort to both comfort her and muffle the sounds of her crying. She wriggled in her father's arms and hit him in the head with her toy as she flailed and cried.

John chuckled and gently took the toy from her, "Let's just put Bongo Bear back in the crib shall we, Lily? Da thinks he's done enough damage and we don't want Mummy to wake up now that she's able to get some sleep."

John didn't understand what had woken his daughter up, but now that she was awake she was fussy and full of energy. John bounced her in his arms and rocked her back and forth which quieted her cries, but did not stop them completely.

"What's wrong, Little Love? Huh? You can't be hungry, you just had a grand meal not more than half an hour ago. You had Bongo Bear, your room is comfy cozy so you can't be cold. Were you just lonely? Did you miss your old Da?"

John bounced her again and got a whiff of something that perhaps wasn't quite right.

"Ah, do you need a new nappy? Is that what all the fuss is about?" John whispered to his girl, "Well you're in luck, because contrary to popular opinion, your dear old Da has turned out to be a championship nappy changer."

He continued to bounce the baby over to the changing table and laid her down, expertly holding her with one hand while unsnapping her turtle onesie with the other.

"Who's the prettiest girl in the whole world?" he asked while he removed his daughter's wet nappy and threw it away, "What's that you say? It's me, Daddy? Well you are absolutely right Lily Bates. You are the prettiest girl, and smart too."

He had the new nappy on in no time and was struggling to get her wriggling legs snapped back in. He lifted her to his shoulder again and returned her to her crib. But she began to cry again the moment he put her down.

John quickly determined that she wasn't ready to go back to sleep just yet, and in all honesty, he was so besotted by her that he wasn't quite ready to return to his bed either. Instead, he sat down in the rocker and cradled his little girl in his arms.

As she whimpered and fussed, John kissed her soft little forehead and asked, "How about a song? Would you like Da to sing for you?"

He took his daughter's fascinated stare as confirmation and began to softly sing to her,

"You may think that I'm talking foolish,

You've heard that I'm wild and I'm free

You may wonder how, I can promise you now

This love that I feel for you, always will be

You're not just time that I'm killing

I'm no longer one of those guys

As sure as I live, this love that I give

Is gonna be yours until the day that I die"

He was about to start on another verse when he noticed Lily's eyes drooping. She was almost asleep when John felt more than saw his wife's presence at the door. He looked up and saw the angelic face of his smiling wife.

"What?" he asked, a little embarrassed that his performance had been witnessed by someone other than his daughter.

"Nothing," Anna responded, entering the room and running her hand over the back of John's head when she approached the rocking chair, "That was lovely. You never cease to amaze me."

"You're the amazing one. I'm just your wing man. And by the way Mrs. Bates, you're supposed to be asleep."

"I know, but I rolled over and you weren't there. I just wanted to see if all was well."

"Just a wet nappy. And then she was crying a bit and I didn't want her to wake you so I decided to sing to her. But it obviously didn't work," John said, thinking about how his wife was now awake anyway.

"On the contrary, Da. Look at her now, slumbering away. She loves the sound of your voice. She has ever since you would talk to her in the womb."

"Mmmm," John deferred the comment by standing up and walking toward the crib. "It's time both my girls got back to bed. Both Miss Bates and Missus."

Anna ran her hand up and down his back as he placed their daughter back in her crib. As soon as his hands were free he turned to his wife and kissed her gently.

"C'mon, back to bed with you too."

When they were snuggly tucked under the covers in their own room and Anna was pulled tight to his side she said, "Your song was lovely John. You are a wonderful father."

John looked down at his wife and felt his heart was about to burst. "There's another verse you know."

"Would you sing it for me? I'd love to have you sing me to sleep like you did Lily."

"Alright," he whispered, knowing he couldn't deny his wife anything she wanted.

"They say that time takes it's toll on a body

Makes the young girls blonde hair turn grey

But honey, I don't care, I ain't in love with your hair

And if it all fell out, well, I'd love you anyway

They say that time can play tricks on a memory,

make people forget things they knew.

well, it's easy to see it's happening to me

I've already forgotten every woman but you

I'm gonna love you forever, forever and ever, amen"

He didn't need to finish the song. His wife was already asleep.