For hammerhead22 : Choey - takes place in a hotel during a tour. [Because she said I had to write some Choey. *ggg* And this is my attempt, although she asked for nothing, this is for her.]

The cell phone rings but Chris ignores it. It's late, he's sleeping and whoever it is can go to hell. He turns away from the shrill ring and concentrates on going back to sleep. He's almost there when the hotel phone rings. Which is a very big no-no. No one is supposed to use the hotel phone for very good reasons. They, the precious popstars, are getting their beauty rest, which some of them need more than others. Mainly Chris. He needs everything he can get. They, the same precious popstars, might be entertaining some very sexy lady or gentleman. Either way, no one was supposed to use that phone.

Chris doesn't move, just lies there glaring at the phone as it rings. It doesn't seem to want to stop. Chris keeps hoping, but it keeps ringing. Finally, after god-knows how many rings, Chris picks it up.

"Is someone dead? Dying? Maimed? Bleeding to death on the floor?" Chris asks, sounding very awake and calm. He's just waiting for the right moment to explode. Before Chris can ask anything else he can hear a high pitched scream, followed by hiccups and then crying and wailing. At the same time.

"Joe?"

"Chris? Can you come over here?"

Chris throws off the sheet and starts looking for a shirt and shoes. "What the hell is the wrong with her?"

"I don't know. She's been like this for a while. Maybe she misses Kel. I don't know. I just. I can't get her to stop. I've tried everything."

Chris slips his feet into sneakers and switches the phone to the other ear as he picks up the keycard. "What am I supposed to do?" He pulls open the door and starts down the hall. The crying and screaming is in stereo and Chris picks up his pace. He knocks on the door before Joey can answer him. The door opens and Chris asks again, "What am I supposed to do?"

Joey pulls him into the room and pushes him toward the beds. He quickly follows with a red-faced and crying daughter. "I need you to make the voice."

Chris blinks. "I'm sorry?"

Joey sighs, shifts the very unhappy child to his lap as he sits next to Chris. She's still screaming and crying although the volume lowered once she saw Chris. "The voice. The one you say is supposed to be Donald Duck."

"It is Donald Duck." Chris says indignantly.

"Sure, sure, Donald on helium. I don't care really, just do it. She likes it. Remember the last time she threw a fit? It worked then."

"Joey, I did that to distract her from the toy you took away. Not to comfort her when she was upset. This," and waves toward the hiccuping child, "is not a temper tantrum."

"I know. I'm out of options. I thought I had all the quirks and ideas down, but she isn't buying any of it." Joey holds out Briahna towards Chris. "Please?"

Chris takes the child, never able to deny Joey anything. He looks at Briahna, then Joey and back to the kid. He smiles and she just cries a little harder. Chris shifts himself around until his back is against the headboard, his legs out in front of him and moves Briahna until she seems comfortable in his lap looking at him expectantly through tear-filled eyes.

"You're driving your dad crazy. You need to stop crying. Daddy seems to think Donald Duck will help. So. Here it goes." Chris clears his throat before talking like Donald Duck. He knows it's pitched a tad too high for the cartoon character but that doesn't matter to children. At the first demented quack, Briahna reaches a hand towards his face.

"Hello there. I'm Donald. What's your name? You are a very beautiful little girl, but you need to stop the tears and go to bed." Briahna fists her hand in Chris's t-shirt while the other hand goes up to her mouth as she sucks her thumb. The crying has stopped but her face is still blotchy and the tearstains still glisten her chubby cheeks.

Still talking like the character, Chris says, "Daddy needs to sleep, get rest so he can sing and dance tomorrow. So do I. So sleeping would be good. Don't know why you're so upset. If you go to sleep it won't upset you anymore." She puts her head on Chris's chest and closes her eyes. Chris continues but in a softer voice. "That's right. Shut those pretty brown eyes, rest, then big old scared Daddy can rest and put this behind him."

He looks up and sees Joey watching. "You're so great with her." Joey says.

Chris shrugs. "Must be a talent left over from growing up. It lies dormant until needed."

Joey reaches out and runs a hand over the head of his daughter who snuffles into Chris's shirt. Chris looks down; she's already out like a light. "You don't know what caused this?"

"Nope." Joey mumbles through a yawn.

Chris settles himself more comfortably and motions Joey over. "If you move her she may wake up and we don't want a repeat, right?"

Joey shakes his head, his face filled with horror. "Good," Chris says and pats the bed next to him. "We'll sleep here then." Joey smiles as he climbs over Chris's legs then up to lay his head in a pillow.

"Thank you for coming." Joey says seriously.

"Of course. Was there any doubt?" Chris grins and puts his hand on Joey's head and plays with his hair.

"No, but it's still above and beyond." Joey says softly as his eyes close.

Chris pulls Joey's hair slightly. "Hey I knew the deal before I signed on. You know this so don't act like I'm doing anything special here. You both needed me, so I came. End of story."

Chris watches Joey smile into the pillow then feels a hand squeeze his thigh. He smiles and settles in for the night with Briahna sleeping peacefully on his chest and Joey right next to him. It's how it should always be.