Had an idea for a Father's Day fic based on a song I like (one you may recognize from the movie Three Men & a Baby). That's pretty much all I have to say about that.

Please enjoy.

When the sun goes down and it's getting late

You say it's time for bed

She just takes her time

Acting like she never heard a word you said

Bunny Tarlek's giggling fit increased in volume (much to her father's consternation). Herb Tarlek pushed away the can of beer blocking the view of his alarm clock. 11:32. He stated the time aloud. "I told her to get to bed by eleven!"

Herb's wife Lucille sat upright in their bed reading a Jackie Collins novel. Without tearing her eyes away from Hollywood Wives, she casually defended their daughter's actions by stating, "Bunny probably lost track of the time again."

"Like she's been doing these past three nights!"

"She's being social, Herb."

"Well she can be social 11:32 in the afternoon!"

There was a high-pitched shriek, an audibly loud gasp, an excited Bunny screeching, "LIKE, NO WAY!", and then a raucous bout of laughter.

An irate Herb pushed back his blanket. "That's it!" He quickly tied on his bathrobe and stomped down the hall to his daughter's room. "Bunny!" He knocked on his daughter's closed door. "It's time for bed!" No response. "BUNNY!" this time he pounded on the door, "hang up the damn phone and go to bed!"

This time, Herb's fourteen-year-old daughter opened her door. "Oh my God, Dad, can you be any ruder? Dana and I are talking about something super important."

"If it's 'super important'," he used a mocking tone for the last part, "then you can talk to Dana about it when you see her at school tomorrow. In fact…" Herb brushed past Bunny and headed for her phone. "Hello Dana, it's Mr. Tarlek. Bunny's going to bed right now and has to postpone this 'super important' conversation 'til tomorrow." He was caught off guard as Dana started to protest. Twice he couldn't get a word in edgewise. So he finally interrupted with a curt, "She'll call you back at a more convenient hour!" He slammed down the phone onto the receiver. Then for good measure, he unhooked the phone from wall.

"Sheesh, Dad, overreact much?"

"Bunny, are you aware that it's nearly midnight? It is a time when people who have things to do and places to be in the morning are asleep. Why aren't you one of those people?"

Bunny casually shrugged. "I guess I lost track of time."

"You guess?!"

"You're not asleep either, you know."

Herb tried not to lose it. He took a deep breath, pointed to Bunny's empty bed, and spoke through gritted teeth. "Bed. Now."

"Ugh, fine," Bunny turned and stomped out of her room.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I have to get ready for bed," she slammed the bathroom door shut.

Could Herb count this as a victory? Frustrated, he shuffled back to his room and threw himself onto his bed face first. "Why was that such a challenge?!"

Lucille felt compelled to remind her husband, "Because she's a teenager, Herb."

Herb responded by screaming into his pillow.

Little baby wanna hold you tight

She don't ever wanna say good night

"I swear, these things are never ending," Herb was sitting at the dining room table commiserating about having to pay bills. "Lucille, did you pay the electric bill?"

"I already mailed it out," she informed him from the kitchen.

"Thanks, Hon," Herb went about his business and opened the next envelope. Upon discovering the contents of said envelope, he started hyperventilating.

"Herb!" Lucille came rushing in to check on her husband. He was wheezing as he shook a document in his hand. "I'm afraid I don't…" he forcefully pointed to the numbers on the bottom. "Ah, the total for this month's phone bill." She squinted to get a better look. "It does seem a bit higher this month."

Herb was flabbergasted. "A BIT?! This is TRIPLE what we usually pay!" He angrily rose from his seat. "Oh-ho, this girl is BEYOND grounded!" Herb marched towards his daughter's room. "BUNNY!" he pounded on her door. "We need to talk!"

"Go away!" Bunny responded from the other side of the door.

"Oh no! You and I are going to talk about this phone bill." When he opened her door, he was struck in the face by a stuffed animal. "What the—"

Had Bunny been crying? "I said go away!" She threw another stuffed animal at him.

Thankfully, Herb caught this one. "Whoa, hey, what is going on?"

"And you don't have to worry about the stupid phone bill because I'm never gonna talk to another person ever again! Especially you!"

Herb sighed and set the toy onto Bunny's bed before sitting down on said bed. "Alright: what's the matter?"

Bunny quickly wiped her eyes and tried to play it cool. "I'm fine, Daddy."

"You're lying, Bunny."

"Why? Because I said I was fine?"

"No. Because you called me 'Daddy'." Bunny made eye contact with her father. "You stopped doing that when you turned ten because you thought you were too grown up to call me that anymore." When he patted the open space on the bed next to him, Bunny hesitantly sat down beside him. "Now let's you and I talk."

"About the phone bill?"

"Don't worry about that now. Just tell Daddy what's wrong and I'll make it all better."

"Ugh, do you know how creepy and gross you made that sound?"

"Would ya just tell me why you're upset?"

"Oh come on; like you don't read my diary?"

"I didn't even know you had a diary!" Bunny quirked a brow. "Okay, fine: unlike your mother and brother, I don't know where your diary is. So if I'm supposed to sit here guessing what's bothering you, this could take a while. Maybe you can give me a bit of a head start."

Bunny took a deep breath before she began to confess. "It's about a boy." Herb let out a nervous groan as he anxiously tugged on his shirt collar. "I've had a crush on Jason Bonner for like a month now and since he broke up with his girlfriend yesterday, I thought I had a chance to tell him how I felt. So I start up a conversation with him in class, and when I got up the nerve to ask him if he wanted to go see a movie, he said he made plans with Dana Anderson."

"As in the Dana you spend all night on the phone with?"

Bunny nodded. "They're both in the same homeroom, so she got to him first. I didn't even know she liked him! When I asked her about it at lunch, she said she had a crush on him too. Except hers wasn't as pathetically obvious as mine. Which she said loud enough for everyone in the cafeteria to start staring at me. Then Dana starts listing all these reasons why someone like Jason would never date a weirdo geek like me and finishes it off with 'you snooze, you lose'."

"Oh, Bunny…"

Bunny was crying by this point. "She said a lot of things that I told her in private conversations in front of everyone at school! Why would she do that? I thought she was my friend!" During her sobs, she started to hyperventilate in a way similar to her father.

"Hey, come here," Herb held out his arms for his daughter to fall into. When she did, he pulled her close and started stroking her hair as she cried into his shirt. "I wish I had an answer for you, Sweetheart, but…but being a teenager in this day and age is a lot more dramatic than it was in my time."

"I hate being a teenager!"

"I hate you being a teenager too. Everything was so much simpler back when you were younger. You were more positive, and more optimistic, and more…happy." Bunny backed away. "I think that was because you weren't so worried about fitting in all the time."

"Don't you want me to be popular?"

"What?" that caught Herb off guard. "I want you to be happy. Do and like the things that make you happy! And in this instance: be the bigger person and own up to the stuff Dana said about you. Some people may not like it, but that doesn't mean other people won't respect you for it. The only opinions you should give a damn about are the opinions of those who matter to you. That's another thing: don't surround yourself with people like Dana and Jason. Find others who will like Bunny Tarlek just the way she is."

Bunny rested her head on her father's shoulder and curled in closer to him. "Thank you."

Herb held her in his embrace as he kissed the top of her head. "You're welcome." They remained on the bed like that for what seemed longer than necessary. "Bunny, do you think you could-"

"Just a few more minutes?" She looked up at Herb with big, pleading eyes. "Please, Daddy."

How could Herb refuse his not-so-little girl? He nodded and continued to hold her—phone bill be damned. Yet as he embraced his daughter, Herb felt a pang in his heart. Why did it feel like this would be the last time he would ever be this close to her? Herb chose to ignore that feeling as he hugged Bunny tighter and assured her, "Everything's gonna be okay. Daddy's here."

"Still sounds creepy, Dad."

She's a lover, she wanna be Daddy's Girl

…

When the morning comes

And it's time to go start another day

She won't let you leave, and she does her best

To try to make you stay

Melanie Carlson understood that her mommy and daddy loved her (and her stupid big brother) very much. She was also sure her Mommy and Daddy loved each other—after all: they had been together a long, long time. What Melanie didn't understand was when her friend Sarah told her one morning on their way to school about how her daddy was no longer living at home.

"Why not?" a curious Melanie asked.

"My mommy and daddy don't love each other no more," it was strange how casually Sarah explained this, "they're gonna get a dee-vorce."

"What's that mean?"

"I'm still not sure. My mom and dad had a long talk with me about how they can't live together 'cause it's not good for me to have to hear them fight all the time. They think they'll be better parents to me if they don't live with each other."

"How come they don't love each other no more?"

Sarah shrugged. "All I know is my daddy isn't gonna live with us. He's getting a 'partment downtown and I get to go see him on the weekends."

Melanie knew all about the days of the week and how Saturday and Sunday were called 'weekends'. "That means you only get to see your daddy for two days!"

"Yep," and that was the last word spoken the rest of the ride to school.

The following morning, Arthur Carlson was standing in front of the hallway mirror adjusting his tie when Melanie tugged on his pant leg. "Daddy?"

Arthur kept his eyes on the mirror. "Yes, Sweetheart?"

"You're going to work, right?"

"I sure am."

"Then you're gonna come home, right?"

Unsure of how to respond, her father chuckled. "Of course I'm gonna come home."

"I just wanted to make sure."

"Why's that?"

"'Cause I don't want you to dee-vorce me and move away."

Arthur finally looked down at his daughter. "Divorce you?" He knelt to her level. "Where did you hear that word?"

"From my friend Sarah. She said her mommy and daddy are getting a dee-vorce. That her daddy's moving away and she'll only see him for two days. That's not gonna happen with us, is it?"

"Well for one thing, divorce is something that can only happen between married people. That's what's happening with Sarah's parents—and about time too, if you ask me."

"Are you gonna do that with Mommy?"

"No, Sweetheart. That's something you won't have to worry about. Still: I think you and I should sit down later with Mommy and we'll talk more about what divorce is, and answer any questions you may have."

"Okay, Daddy."

"Sorry, Melanie," Arthur had a cheeky grin on his face, "but you and your mother are stuck with me forever."

Melanie hugged her father. "Good!"

Pretty baby gonna start to cry

She don't ever wanna say goodbye

Melanie Carlson also understood that her parents were a lot older than most parents. Old people also got sick a lot. Sometimes they'd get so sick they'd have to go to Heaven.

That's what happened with her Nana's Hirsch (the old, old man who helped take care of Nana). One day when Melanie came home from school, her mother told her that Hirsch's heart stopped working and that he 'passed away'.

"What's that mean?" a curious Melanie asked.

Her mother tried to put it in a way Melanie could understand. "Do you remember when Daddy and I talked to you about what had happened with your pet goldfish? How we told you that he had died and what that word meant?"

"And then we honored his memory."

"That's right."

"Are we gonna flush Hirsch down the toilet too?"

Carmen stifled her giggle. "No, Sweetheart. Nana is giving Hirsch a funeral. It's something we have for another person who died. It's a sort of celebration to remember who someone was and how much they meant to their loved ones."

"Did Nana love Hirsch?"

"I think she did in her own special way. Hirsch meant enough to Nana for her to give him a funeral."

"I guess that's nicer than her flushing Hirsch down the toilet."

Subsequently, the funeral for her Nana's houseboy became the first funeral Melanie ever attended. Honestly, she didn't much care for funerals; everyone was sad, they didn't wear anything colorful, and the people talking were so boring! Still, some things they had said struck a chord with the little girl. Particularly how death is one of life's certainties and will happen to everyone. The man who talked the most said that even though Hirsch is no longer alive, he will live on in the hearts and memories of those who knew and loved him.

Some of what they said got Melanie thinking. It got her thinking so much, that she couldn't go to sleep. Usually, she'd get out of bed and go find her parents and they would help her fall back asleep. At first, she was gonna go to her mommy, then she noticed the light was on in her daddy's den. When she peered in, she saw Daddy at his desk with a pen looking over a bunch of papers. Remembering Daddy liked quiet when he was busy, she gently tapped on his door and whispered, "Daddy?"

Arthur looked up from his desk. "Melanie? What are you doing up?"

"I can't sleep. I keep thinkin'."

"What about?"

Melanie shrugged. "Stuff."

"What kinda stuff?"

"Stuff they said at the fune-rul."

"Oh."

"Like that Hirsch isn't alive no more."

"No, he's not."

"So I'm never gonna see him again?"

"Well…no, Sweetheart. Didn't Mommy and I talk to you about this when Mr. Belvefish died?"

"A little bit, but then the man at the fune-rul said that everybody dies."

"Oh boy."

"Does that mean I'm gonna die?"

"Well…yes, Sweetheart." Melanie let out a frightened squeak, "but not for a very, very long time!"

"Do you promise?"

Her father sighed before answering her. "Melanie, I can't make that kind of promise. I have no control over something like that."

"But you have control over KRP."

Mr. Carlson emitted some kind of noise that was a mixture of both a scoff and a chuckle before he continued. "That's a very different thing than…look: just believe me when I say that you're not gonna die for a long, long time. Okay?" Melanie didn't respond. "Melanie?"

"If everybody dies, does that mean you're gonna die too?"

"Yes, Sweetheart, I'm gonna die too." He noticed Melanie start to cry. "Oh, Sweetheart," he hurried over to her and knelt at her level, "I know Death is a sad thought but-"

"You're old!" How the heck was he supposed to respond to that? "You're not gonna be alive a long, long time!"

Arthur sighed. "No, Melanie, I may not be." Melanie sniffled, "but we don't know that for sure. I'm trying all kinds of ways to keep myself healthy and safe so that I'll stay alive for you as long as I can."

She wiped her tears with the back of her hand. "For me?"

"Yes, for you! When you were born, I promised that I'd be there to watch you grow up and celebrate all the important things that you do. And dang it, I'm gonna do that!"

"I'm gonna do that for you too!"

Her father let out a good-natured chuckle as he tousled her red hair. "Come on," he took her by the hand, "let's get you back to bed." They walked hand in hand to her bedroom. He then helped tuck her into bed. "All snug?" Melanie yawned as she nodded. "Goodnight, Melanie."

"Night, Daddy." They gave each other a goodnight kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too, Sweetheart."

Melanie reached for the stuffed dalmatian next to her pillow. "I believe my Daddy, Fred. After all, Mommy and I are stuck with him forever."

She's a lover, she wanna be Daddy's Girl

…

She don't ever wanna be without you

Never have to worry she won't doubt you

For the first time in a long time, Andy Travis actually had time to himself. While Bailey spent a few hours at the library every Saturday so that she could have some quiet time to study for the political science classes she recently enrolled in, Andy spent his Saturdays with their daughter, Chelsea. Not that he was complaining. Andy loved being a father, and he treasured any time with his little girl. He was also proud of his fiancée for pursuing something she genuinely wanted to do. Still, it would be nice to have time to do things that he wanted to do.

Which is why he was grateful for nap time.

Andy decided to take the opportunity to stretch out on the sofa and have complete control over what was on TV. Today it was gonna be a Reds game. It was their nineteenth, and it was gonna be nice to watch at least ONE of them. Might as well enjoy it while he could.

Then the phone rang a little over ten minutes into the game because of course it would. "Yell-o," Andy's southern drawl stood out when he answered the phone. "Hey, Hon, how's the study session…why not? Everythin' alright…no, I'm not upset or nothin'—I 'preciate ya lettin' me know. We didn't make any dinner plans or anythin'…she's fine, she's takin' a nap…I'll make sure she gets lunch when she wakes up…you have fun at the Town Hall meetin'…I love you, too. Bye, Bailey," he hung up the phone eager to get back to his spot on the couch...

…only to be slightly dismayed to find his spot had been taken. The sandy-haired toddler looked up at her father with a grin extraordinarily similar to his own. "Hi, Daddy."

"Well, well, looks like someone's up from their nap."

Chelsea pointed to herself. "Is me."

"Yes, it's you," he scooped her into his arms and carried her to the kitchen. "C'mon, let's you and I get some lunch."

"Fwen fwies!"

"We're outta French Fries. How 'bout a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? That sound good to ya?" The toddler bobbed her head. "Sounds good to me too," Andy secured Chelsea in her booster seat at the dining table before going to prepare lunch. "I just got off the phone with Mama. She and her class are gonna go to a Town Hall meetin', and she don't know when she's gonna be home. That means we're gonna have the whole day together, just the two of us."

"I'm two!"

Andy chuckled as he finished making the sandwiches. "That's right, you are."

"Since Feb-bewwy."

"I remember." He laid her lunch out for her. "Now Miss Chelsea, what do you want to do for our Daddy-Daughter Day?" She stared blankly at him. "No ideas then?"

"Wha you wanna do, Daddy?"

"I don't think you wanna do what I wanted to do. Daddy was perfectly fine sittin' on the sofa and watchin' baseball, but I doubt that'll interest ya. Which is a shame 'cause baseball is America's greatest pastime." He started eating his lunch.

"Pay ow-side?"

Andy pretended to think about this as he chewed his sandwich. He made sure to swallow his food before continuing, "I s'pose we can go play outside. We haven't taken you to the park in a while." He had an idea. "Have Mama or Daddy ever played catch with you?" Chelsea shook her head no. "Oh, we gotta do that!"

"I doe know," his daughter said this in a way eerily identical to her mother (right down to the nervous head tilt).

"Don't know if you'll like it, huh? Well you're not gonna know unless you try. Me, personally, I think you'll like it. Whaddya say, C.J?" She giggled at her father's special nickname for her. "Can you try fer Daddy?"

"I try fer Daddy."

"Thank you, Baby," he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Guess this means I gotta get ya a catcher's mitt…and a ball—that'd prob'ly be a good start."

"'Cause we gonna pay catch!"

"We sure are! All the best dads play catch with their kids."

Chelsea pointed to Andy. "Bess Daddy!"

"You think so?" She excitedly bobbed her head. "Well, I do try; but do you know why I'm the Best Daddy?"

"Pwetty hair."

Andy chuckled at that. "I guess that's true too; but the reason I'm the Best Daddy is 'cause you're the best."

"Tank you."

"You're welcome. And if I may say, you also have very pretty hair."

"Juss like my daddy!" And there was Andy's smile on his daughter's face.

Andy also couldn't help smiling as he remarked, "Just like yer daddy."

Then she puts her head upon your shoulder

Says she'll marry you when she gets older

"Where's that one go?" Andy was focusing his attention on helping his daughter with a puzzle at her activity table while Bailey was on the phone with her father. When Chelsea successfully placed the piece, he held up his hand for her to, "High-five," (which she did). "Looks like there's one more piece."

Chelsea passed it to Andy. "You do it."

"You want me to finish it?" She nodded. "Well, thank you fer lettin' me be a part of your early educational development." He completed the puzzle for her.

"Is kitty cat!"

"By golly, so it is." They then heard an aggravated groan as the phone was slammed onto the receiver. "Sounds like Mama's done on the phone."

"Mama mad?"

"Talkin' to Grandpa Quarters has that effect on a person. C'mon," he picked Chelsea up from her chair, "let's go see if we can cheer Mama up." He then carried his daughter to the kitchen so they could meet up with Bailey. "Ya know," Andy addressed his fiancée, "you could hang up on him."

"It's not that easy," Bailey argued. "There's no telling what his reaction would be. Plus, the man is my father."

"He's also the same man who told your boss that it was okay to shoot you."

"A daughter's relationship with her father can be very complicated. Enjoy what you and Chelsea have while it lasts." She reached over and brushed back a strand of Chelsea's hair before asking the toddler, "Can you stay this little forever?" Chelsea shook her head before she rested it upon her father's shoulder. "No, I didn't think so."

"Your father bring up the whole marriage thing again?"

"Always. It's not like you and I aren'tgoing to get married; it's just not a high priority right now."

"There's no rush or anythin'."

"Exactly!"

"I'm happy with the way things are."

"So am I!"

"Though I do wanna marry ya at some point, Bailey."

"I want to marry you too, Andy."

"I mawwy," Chelsea spoke up.

"Oh no you won't," her father denied.

"At least not right away," Bailey advised the toddler. "You have to be older to get married."

"A lot older." Bailey couldn't help but roll her eyes at how Andy said that.

"I mawwy Daddy when oh-der," Chelsea's declaration made her parents laugh.

Andy looked down at his daughter. "That's real sweet of ya to offer, but daddies aren't allowed to marry their daughters."

"Can I mawwy Mama?"

"Mamas can't marry their daughters neither."

"Though I do appreciate you asking, Darling," Bailey gave her daughter a kiss.

"'Sides," Andy began, "Daddy already promised that he'd marry Mama."

"When I'm oh-der?" Chelsea inquired.

Andy considered this. "Yeah, I guess you'd be a little older by the time we get 'round to it."

"Lot oh-der?"

"Uh-oh, Andy," Bailey began, "sounds like someone may be in a rush to grow up."

"Aww," Andy pouted at his daughter, "you sure you can't stay this lil' forever?" Chelsea shook her head. "Dang."

"Hey, Daddy," Chelsea made sure she had her father's attention so that she could practically slam her face into his and kiss him. "Feel bedder?"

"Oh, much better. Thank you."

Chelsea ran one of her little hands through his hair. "I love my Daddy."

In return, Andy gave his daughter a kiss on the cheek. "And Daddy loves his C.J."

As Bailey watched them interact, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. Why was it that she couldn't have the kind of father-daughter relationship like Andy and Chelsea? Was it possible that perhaps, once upon a time, it was that way with her and her father? After all, she still had some genuine love for the man. Where did it all go wrong? Would whatever happened between her and her father happen with Andy and Chelsea?

No, Bailey thought as she watched her little family, it won't happen. Andy's loved Chelsea since the moment he found out she existed. He loves being her father more than anything in the world. Besides: he must be doing something right if his own daughter wants to marry him!

…

When the time has come and she's old enough

To be on her own

She won't understand why you're feelin' sad

'Cause she's leaving you all alone

Little woman gonna make you cry

You don't ever want to say goodbye

She's a lady, she'll always be Daddy's Girl

Johnny Caravella smiled to himself as he read over another letter from his daughter. He always had genuine interest in whatever Laurie was up to and what she had to say. And with her latest letter saying she was coming for a visit, that certainly had Johnny's interest.

They agreed to meet up at a diner near the Flimm Building after Johnny's shift. He had arrived first and seated himself in a corner booth to wait for Laurie. As he fixated his attention toward the door, doubt suddenly crept in. Despite frequent letters and occasional phone calls, Johnny hadn't actually seen Laurie in over six years—she had made a brief stop in Cincinnati on her way back to Seattle from Philadelphia in the spring of 1980. Hell, Johnny didn't even recognize his own daughter back then! Would history repeat itself.

"Johnny!" A blonde woman in a green dress headed toward Johnny's table.

"Laurie?"

"Hi, Dad."

If Laurie hadn't called out to him, he legitimately may not have recognized her. Well, with one exception. He gave her a quick lookover after their hug. "Isn't that your mother's dress?"

"Uh-huh. I borrowed it one time and just never gave it back. I wanted to wear something nice when I came to see you and…oh no, you don't like it?"

"It certainly looks better on you than it does your mother." He pointed at her head. "Your hair's longer."

"It was kinda funny," Johnny waited for her to sit down before taking a seat, "I was trying so hard not to be like Mom. She had shorter hair, so I decided to grow mine out. Whatever's the opposite. I guess the same didn't apply when it came to her wardrobe though."

"Guess not. Hey, I ordered us some Cokes," Johnny pushed a glass toward her, "I thought I could formally toast you getting your degree in music history. Here's to you, Laurie."

"Thank you," they clinked their glasses together and drank. "My minor in administration's also gonna come in handy if I need to get an office job."

"What are you up to now?"

Laurie shrugged. "Figuring out what to do with my life mostly. I thought about traveling again, but this time with a purpose."

"A purpose?"

"I want to visit famous locations that hold great significance in music. Places of origin, popular musical clubs or arenas, famous death sites, stuff like that."

"Sounds…fascinating." How does one respond when their child says they want to visit famous death sites?

"It's not like it's a definite plan or anything, it's just an idea. I have no clue what I wanna do right now."

"So what brings you to Cincinnati?"

"I just felt like seeing you again. I miss you."

"I miss you too."

"I figure this is probably a good time in our relationship where we can be friends and you won't have to worry about being a father or anything. You said you wanted to be friends last time I came and-"

"Laurie, I'm always going to be your father. Granted, I wish I could have been a better one to you—and you sure as Hell deserve better—but neither of us can change the past. What we can do now is strengthen our relationship for the future. It's never too late for a father to be there for his daughter if he genuinely wants to be."

"And you genuinely want to be?"

"Damn right, I do!"

"I'm really glad to hear you say that."

"Heck, I'd like for you to move closer to Cincinnati so we could get back some of the time we missed out on."

"Well, I don't know about that."

"Would you at least consider that as you try to figure out what you wanna do with your life?"

"For you? Of course I'll consider it."

Johnny really hoped Laurie couldn't see him tearing up behind his sunglasses. "Thanks," he quickly cleared his throat and tried to play everything cool. "Do you know how long you're gonna be in town?"

"At least a week. It's cool if I stay with you, right?"

"Yeah, of course." Johnny then double-checked, "Just you, right? I don't have to worry about another Justin or-"

"Ugh, do you really have to bring up that jerk?!"

"Can't blame a dad for wondering."

Little woman gonna break your heart

Gonna miss her when you're both apart

She's a lady, but she'll always be Daddy's Girl

"But it's interesting that you wondered if I was with someone," Laurie fiddled with the chain around her neck so that she could show Johnny what was hanging off it.

"Is that," Johnny took off his sunglasses off to get a confirming look, "that's not…"

With a beaming smile on her face, his daughter enthusiastically nodded. "It is actually. I just can't wear it until we get it sized right, but Brian picked it out all by himself, and he even got down on one knee and it was just the sweetest…" Laurie couldn't help but swoon.

Johnny put his glasses back on. "I didn't think you were seeing anybody since you said Dean decided to focus on his band."

"I wasn't planning on being in another relationship. Brian's been my friend for the longest time and it's like he was always there for me, you know. He was comforting me after Dean left and he said something in a way that made me think 'does Brian like me more than a friend?'. So I flat out asked him, and he told me he's liked me that way all along, but he cared about me and he didn't want to ruin our friendship. I wasn't really sure how to react, but next thing I know I burst out laughing and I admitted I thought he was gay. Boy, did his face turn red." Johnny couldn't help but chuckle at that. "I needed time to think it over, but I gave Brian a shot and…here we are now."

"So you and Brian have been together for…"

"We've been dating for a year and a half, but we've known each other since we met at college Freshman year. I didn't want to say anything—given the track record of all the guys I've been with—because I was afraid that I'd say or do something to screw up the best relationship I've been in. Hell, right before Brian proposed, I thought for sure he was gonna break up with me! By the way: Brian really wanted to come and meet you, but he couldn't get away from work."

"What's Brian do?"

"He's an electrical engineer."

"And he treats you good?" Johnny reached for his Coke.

"He's basically the perfect gentleman. And talk about respectful! Do you know how hard it was to get him to sleep with me?" Naturally, this made Johnny choke on his drink. "I realize I should not have said out loud, or in public, or to my father." She readied some napkins for him.

"I guess I should appreciate you felt comfortable telling me something like that," Johnny took the napkins from her. "I mean: I'm not gonna tell ya how to live your life and what not. All that matters is that he makes you happy. Does he?"

"He does."

"That's what counts," he paused. "And you're absolutely sure you want to marry this guy?"

"Yes, I'm absolutely sure."

Johnny was at a loss for words. "Are you really old enough to get married?"

"Dad!"

"I don't mean it like that. I just…I just can't believe how grown up you are."

"Brian and I haven't made any real plans or anything, but I was hoping that you'd be at the wedding."

"Of course I'll be there!"

"And that you'd give me away?" She phrased that like a question.

Dammit, the tears were welling up again. "You want me to…"

Laurie had the widest smile on her face as she gave him a confirming nod. "Of course I do. What bride doesn't want her father to give her away at her wedding?"

…

She'll always be Daddy's Girl

...

All in all, Friday the 13th seemed like a regular day at WKRP. Herb and Les were at their desks when Jennifer entered the bullpen with a special visitor. "Hello, Gentlemen," Jennifer greeted.

"Hi Uncle Herb! Hi Uncle Les!" Melanie excitedly ran to the both of them and handed them each some of sort card.

"Why thank you, Melanie," Les graciously accepted his card from her. "May I ask what brings you to the station?"

"It's a surprise for my Daddy and you're invited." She pointed to the exclamation on Les' card. "See, 'you're invited!'"

Herb turned the card over. "What exactly are we invited to?"

"It's in the lobby in five minutes," this was all Melanie told them before adding, "Remember, it's a surprise!"

"It's not your daddy's birthday, is it?"

…

Andy was in his office looking over the latest top 40 hits when there was a knock at his door. "Come in!" He was pleasantly surprised to see Bunny and Little Herb enter "Hey, it's the Tarlek Kids!" He got up to greet them with handshakes. "What can I do fer ya?"

"This is for you," Little Herb gave Andy a card that said 'You're Invited'.

"You got a birthday or somethin' comin' up?"

"It's actually something for our dad," Bunny explained. "It's in the lobby in five minutes, but we wanted to invite all the guys at WKRP."

"Oh. Sure, I'll be there."

"Thanks Andy!" the Tarlek Kids thanked before heading out for the lobby.

"The heck kinda party are we throwin' for Herb Tarlek?"

…

"This is Doctor Fever signing off for the day," Johnny finished his broadcast. He was readying to leave, when some friends entered the DJ booth. "Hey, hey, it's my buddy, Chels," Johnny lowered himself to Chelsea's level.

Bailey let go of her daughter's hand. "Go on, Darling," she handed Chelsea something before gently nudging her toward Johnny.

Chelsea held out the envelope. "For Unca Johnny."

Johnny faked gasp. "For me?" Chelsea nodded. "It's not a warrant for my arrest or anything?" He looked over the card. "I'm invited?"

She held her hand up to her face. "Five min-nus."

"Five minutes?"

"Could you come to the lobby in five minutes?" Bailey clarified.

"Yeah, sure. What for?"

"Is supwise," Chelsea added.

"A surprise?" He looked up at Bailey. "It's not an actual warrant or citation, is it?"

Bailey chuckled as she picked Chelsea up. "No, it's a good surprise."

"For who?"

…

Mr. Carlson was playing around with a model plane when his phone rang. "Hello, Jennifer," he listened to what she had to say. "I didn't know I had a meeting today…how important…oh…yes, well send them in." He hung up the phone as the door opened. "What can I do for…" he lost his train of thought as he got a look at the attractive blonde who had came in, "you're not with the Sisterhood of Blonde Receptionists, are you?"

"Are you Mr. Carlson?" the girl asked him.

"I'm pretty sure I am." He rose to greet her. "How can I do you? NO! I mean…what can I help? Is that what I mean?"

"I know what you mean," she assured him. "You probably don't remember me. I'm Johnny's daughter, Laurie."

"Oh! Hello, Laurie. Is there anything I can help with? Yeah, that's what I meant the first time."

"I wanted to give you this," and there was that invitation again. "We planned something special in the lobby and were hoping you could come."

"We?"

"Mostly me, Jennifer, and Bailey. We've also invited Mrs. Tarlek and Mrs. Carlson."

"Which Mrs. Carlson?"

"Both, but your mother didn't want to come."

"That sounds like Mother."

"But this isn't about your mother."

"So what is...whatever this is about...about?"

"Come on," Laurie led him outside where Venus Flytrap, Carmen Carlson, Lucille Tarlek and her kids were finishing setting up for what appeared to be some kind of party. "Got the Big Guy," Laurie announced to them.

"Oh!" as if that explained the huge dog in the corner of the room who barked at Mr. Carlson.

"Was that a dog?" Herb could be heard before entering the lobby. When Herb entered with an entourage, the dog barked again.

"Phil!" Les excitedly went over to his dog. "I thought I heard your bark!"

"Hi, Daddy!" Melanie ran over to her father.

"Melanie?" although Arthur was happy to see his daughter, he was visibly confused as to why she was there. "You sure it's safe for that dog to-"

"Of course!" Les defended. "Phil loves women and children."

"What about men?"

"Lucille?" Herb gravitated toward his family. "Kids? What are you doing here?"

"We're here for the celebration," Lucille responded. "Jennifer also asked the kids to invite Andy."

"Travis?"

"Yeah?" Andy acknowledged his presence as he looked around the lobby. "What's goin' on?" He took notice of Phil. "Is that thing a dog?"

"Be careful, Andy," Les warned as he stroked his dog's fur, "Phil can smell fear."

"Travis, do you have any idea what's happening here?" Carlson inquired.

"No, but why does it sound like you don't?" Andy questioned back.

"Because I don't!"

"Aren't we havin' some kinda party for Herb?"

"Me?" Herb was audibly surprised. "I thought this was for The Big Guy."

"That's what Melanie and Jennifer told us," Les added.

Carlson looked around the room. "Where is Jennifer?"

"Here I am," Jennifer announced as she made her entrance. "I'm pretty sure the rest of the gang isn't that far behind." She made sure she was out of the way as Johnny, Bailey, and Chelsea came into the lobby.

"Chelsea?" "Laurie?" the respective fathers had not expected to see their daughters. Nor had they expected Laurie to take Chelsea from Bailey.

"That's everyone! Can I get all the kids over by me and Venus?" Bunny, Little Herb, Melanie, Laurie and Chelsea gathered near Jennifer and Venus.

"Phil," Venus whistled to Les' dog, "come here, Boy," Phil ran over to Venus. "Stay," Venus commanded as he went off to the side.

Jennifer soon stepped away to join Venus. She looked back toward the WKRP offspring. "Ready?"

"Ready!" the kids confirmed.

"And…"

Jennifer and Venus both unfurled a large banner as the children blew on noisemakers. Both the banner and the group of kids proclaimed, "HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!"

"WOOF!" Phil added the last part.

"So that's what this is about!" Herb vocalized his realization.

"It was actually Laurie's idea," Jennifer gave proper credit. "She called me a couple months ago to plan this surprise for Johnny and I thought it would be cute to celebrate all the fathers at WKRP."

"And father figures," Venus added.

Jennifer turned to their boss. "Venus and I were hoping we could be honorary Carlson Kids for today. You've been like a father to us and we really want to show our appreciation."

"Whaddya say, A.C?"

Carlson smiled. "I'd be proud to call you my honorary children."

"Thanks…Dad."

Les raised his hand. "Les Nessman: WKRP News."

Carlson sighed. "Yes, Les, you can be an honorary Carlson Kid too."

"PAPA!" Les ran over to his temporary father and gave him a great big hug.

"We didn't want to leave you out, Les," Jennifer noted. "That's why we made sure to bring in Phil."

"WOOF!" Phil was just glad to be included.

"We also got presents!" an enthusiastic Melanie let everyone know. "Here Daddy," she presented her gift. "This is from me and Artie."

"Little Arthur couldn't get out of a previous engagement," Carmen spoke on her son's behalf, "or so he told me; but he did make a financial contribution toward your gifts."

"Oh," Bigger Arthur admired his new fishing pole, "isn't this nice?"

"We also got a tackle box!" Melanie gave him the next part of his gift. "It's your favorite color!"

"So it is."

"Look inside! Look inside!"

"Okay! Okay!" He opened the box. "Ooh, nice new lures. What's this," he noticed an envelope.

"Open it! Open it!"

Carlson chuckled as he did so. "Plane tickets?"

"We're gonna go catch bonefish!"

"We always said we'd try that trip again someday," Carmen mentioned.

"So we did," Carlson remembered.

"And I get to come too!" Melanie cheered.

"That's gonna make the trip much better," Carlson kissed his daughter's cheek. "Thank you, Sweetheart."

"Kids," Lucille started, "why don't you go next?"

"Sure." "Whatever." Herb's kids brought a box over to their dad. "Happy Father's Day."

"Thanks, Kids," Herb thanked as he opened the box. "Hey," he took out his latest suit (complete with a white belt), "this is swell."

"It's homemade," Little Herb let his father know. "I did the sewing!"

"Did you?" give him some credit, Herb was making an effort to appreciate the more effeminate aspects of his son.

"I designed the suit's look," Bunny told him.

"You did?" Herb was genuinely surprised at that.

"Yeah, she's actually good at something," Little Herb teased.

"Shut up, Wuss," Bunny retorted back. "Anyway," she looked to her father, "we know how much you loved the Cordoba; we loved it too."

"It sucks that it won't run anymore."

"So we used the material from the car's seats and turned it into a new suit for you."

"And got you a white belt to complete your trademark look."

"Thanks, Guys," Herb hugged his kids, "but I'll never love that car as much as I love you two." Lucille loudly cleared her throat. "Or your mother."

"Thank you, Herbie," Lucille kissed her husband.

"Let Chelsea go next," Laurie set Chelsea down as she turned to Johnny. "I didn't really get you a gift anyway."

"You did by coming to Cincinnati," Johnny countered. "As far as I'm concerned: that's probably the best gift I could ever get."

"Does a card with twenty bucks also sound good?"

"Sounds like the second-best gift I could get."

"Here," Bailey gave her daughter a small bag, "show Daddy what you got him."

Andy lowered himself to Chelsea's level so that he could easily accept her present. "You got me somethin'?"

"Made it," Chelsea corrected.

"Oh, you made me somethin'?" he took a photo frame out of the bag.

Chelsea pointed to the handprint on the back of the frame. "My hand."

"We took a class at the community center where kids could make picture frames and decorate them with their handprints," Bailey elaborated.

"My name," Chelsea pointed to the initials inside the hand. "C.J."

"That is my special name for you," Andy reaffirmed this. "Did you put in a picture?"

"Mama did."

"Ah-ah," Bailey denied. "Mama took you to the photo studio and then helped choose the picture we liked best."

"Pick ow-fit."

"Okay, yes, I did pick her outfit."

Andy let out a hearty chuckle when he looked at the picture. "It certainly is a good one," he flipped over the frame and held it up so everyone could see his daughter dressed as a cowgirl. "I love it, C.J!" He kissed his daughter's cheek.

Bailey made her way over to her fiancée. "Happy Father's Day, Andy." They shared their own kiss—albeit, on the lips.

"Excuse me," there was a knock on the lobby door. Waiting at the doorway was a lanky young man with curly brown hair, Buddy Holly glasses, jeans and a t-shirt displaying the album cover for Thomas Dolby's The Golden Age of Wireless, "is this WKRP?"

"Brian!" Laurie practically ran to him. "What are you doing here?"

"I took a personal day and asked Buddy to fly me to Cincinnati to surprise you."

"I certainly am surprised! Everyone," she took Brian by the hand and led him into the lobby, "this is my fiancée, Brian." The group offered their greetings at Brian.

Brian seemed a little embarrassed to be the center of attention. "Hi, everyone."

"Brian," Laurie brought him to the morning DJ, "this is my father, John Caravella."

"Pleased to meet you, Sir," Brian shook his future father-in-law's hand.

"John," Johnny allowed. "It's nice to put a face to the name. I've heard nothing but good things."

Brian blushed. "Thanks, and likewise."

"You've heard nothing but good things about me?" Brian nodded. "Gee, I…don't really know how to respond to that. Listen, Brian: you wanna blow this place and get some lunch; you, me, and Laurie? I doubt a Father's Day party is your kind of scene anyway."

An unsure Brian turned to Laurie. "Actually," a hesitant Laurie considered how to word her next statement, "it kind of will be this time next year."

Johnny (and all the other adults) got the hint. "You're not…are you sure you…this isn't a belated April Fool's thing?"

Laurie shook her head. "Happy Father's Day…Grandpa"

And down to the ground Johnny went.

For those of you who want to go on an Easter Egg hunt, have at it. I managed to put in references from my other fics for good measure (including my running gag with Les and his questions). Heck, I think I even referenced the sequel series—apparently Bailey becomes mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan; I'm sure that means she studied politics at some point before getting that position.

CANON KIDS at 'KRP'

Bunny Tarlek is Herb and Lucille's daughter. In the season 3 episode "Real Families", Bunny is established to be 8 years old (and her brother is 7). That episode aired November 15, 1980 meaning Bunny would have been born in 1972 [or any point after November 15, 1971].

Melanie Carlson is Arthur and Carmen's daughter. Her birth was the focus of the season 3 episode "The Baby", which aired November 22, 1980. However, the audience didn't learn the titular baby's name until the first episode of the 4th season ["An Explosive Affair"]. Melanie's older brother "Little" Arthur was introduced in the season 1 episode "Young Master Carlson".

Laurie is Johnny's daughter with his first ex-wife, Paula. In the season 2 episode "The Doctor's Daughter", Laurie says that she's 19 (and that she hadn't seen Johnny since 7 years prior, when she was 12). That episode aired in February 18, 1980 meaning, Laurie would have been born in 1960 [or any time before February 18, 1961].

Chelsea Jennifer Travis is an original child character of my creation. The daughter of Andy Travis and Bailey Quarters, she made her debut in chapter 2 of my fic "The WKRP Family". Born on February 28th, 1984 (at 11:11 am), she was named after the Judy Collins single "Chelsea Morning" and WKRP receptionist Jennifer Marlowe.

Phil is Les' dog we "meet" in the season 2 episode "Les' Groupie".

Reminder: I do not own the song "Daddy's Girl" by Peter Cetera.

Hope you enjoyed this spur of the moment fic. Thanks for reading. Peace out!