A/N: I was asked by a few friends to write an epilogue for our favorite couple so here it is! All praise goes to BK2U who, once again, took raw clay and molded it into art. I, of course, own nothing and just play with these characters for fun.

xXx

Tobias stood on the sideline, his eyes narrowed as he concentrated on the small figures in front of him. At this age there was infinitely more enthusiasm than skill, but to Tobias's biased eyes, his Annabelle was clearly the most talented kid on the field. She ran at full speed, her face scrunched in concentration, her dark blue eyes glued to the ball. The ball was rolling in front of her when a player from another team suddenly darted in and changed the direction of the ball. Tobias grinned at the look of outrage on his little girl's face.

Annabelle changed direction, running after the ball. There was no real semblance of defense, so the ball changed direction at the whim of the enthusiastic four-year-olds. The other team got close to the goal but missed. Annabelle's team got the ball back, and they started running in the other direction. There was a moment when the other team seemed to gain control and turned the ball the other way.

Tobias yelled out when his girl managed to get the ball back. He could see her intense concentration as she tried valiantly to guide the ball down the field. She was faster than a lot of the other girls, so soon she had a good lead over the rest of them. As she got close to the goal, Tobias felt his excitement rise. The little girl playing goalie was just standing there, paying attention to her pink arm pads and not the game. Annabelle kicked out her foot and the ball stuttered into the net.

Tobias threw his arms up with a yell. He and the other parents on the sideline congratulated each other as the girls surrounded Annabelle, laughing and hugging her. The referee blew his whistle, signaling the end of the game. The coach called the giggling girls back to their side. Water was passed around and the girls drank between their cheers. It took a minute for the coach to break through the excitement. She talked to them briefly before letting them go.

As Annabelle ran towards him, Tobias felt the grin on his face grow impossibly wider. Sometimes he could not believe this little person was his daughter, and that she actually seemed to adore him. He'd been terrified when Tris had announced she was pregnant, but her enthusiasm, her absolute confidence in him, helped ease his fears. By the time Annabelle was born, Tobias had been excited, and when he held her for the first time he couldn't remember why he'd ever been worried. His love for her had been immediate and overwhelming. He bent down to swoop Annabelle into his arms.

"Didja see me, Daddy? I made the goal!" she said proudly.

"Sure did, baby girl!" he said, hugging her tightly. "You did great."

"Coach said she was proud of us. We did good!" Annabelle wound her arms around her father's neck as he carried her to the car. "Can I get dessert since we won?"

Tobias laughed softly. "Sure thing. Ice cream?"

Annabelle's eyes — his eyes — lit up. "Chocolate with chocolate sprinkles?"

Tobias laughed again. She was exactly like her mom, a complete sucker for anything chocolate. "You know it." He got her buckled into her booster seat in the back of the car, then got in himself. As he drove home, Annabelle kept up a constant chatter in the background.

"Daddy?"

"Yeah?"

"When will Mommy come back home?"

"She'll be back the day after tomorrow," Tobias replied. Tris had gone to Chicago to help take care of her mom. Natalie needed her gallbladder removed, so Tris and Caleb had each taken a week to help while Andrew was at work.

"I hope Grandma feels better. I miss Mommy."

Tobias smiled. "I do too, baby," he murmured. He and Tris didn't often spend a long time apart, and he found he missed her intensely. Despite that, he was enjoying his first real stint at being a daddy all by himself. There were a few snafus — Tobias found he really, really sucked at braiding hair — but all in all, he and Annabelle were doing okay on their own.

As they pulled up to their house, Tobias noticed that their housekeeper, Helen, must have left already since her car was gone. He got Annabelle out of his car and she ran ahead to the front door. She might have a ton of energy now, but Tobias knew she'd drop like a rock after dinner. He opened the door to the scent of Helen's creamy chicken and dumpling stew. A smile crossed his face. Tris had given Helen her grandmother's recipe, and he'd be damned if Helen didn't make it every bit as good as Grandma Prior. Since Tris had left, Helen had been cooking some of her favorite recipes to help Annabelle feel closer to her mom.

Glancing at the time, he saw that they had about three hours until Tris called. He hustled Annabelle upstairs and got her into the bath. He let her splash him with her bath toys and gleefully draw on the tub with her bath-safe crayons. Once she was out of the tub, he combed out her hair, got her dressed in pajamas, and plopped her down in front of the TV with a DVD and her favorite teddy bear. He straightened up the bathroom, amazed at how such a little girl could make such a big mess. He changed his own wet clothes to the sounds of Annabelle singing along with Mary Poppins.

Once the movie was over, they headed downstairs to the kitchen. Annabelle sat at the kitchen table coloring and chattering excitedly about her game. Tobias reheated Helen's rolls and turned to his daughter. "Okay, Anna, which bowl: Kung Fu Panda or Frozen?" He held a plastic bowl in each hand.

Annabelle looked up and studied each for a moment, her expression serious. "Panda," she said after a moment. Tobias nodded and ladled stew into the bowl.

"Put your coloring away so we can eat," he said. Behind him he heard the patter of Annabelle's feet as she ran, as usual, to put her coloring book and crayons on the bookshelf. She came running back and after Tobias set the bowl down, he boosted her into her seat.

He poured glasses of water for them, carrying them over to the table. He sat next to his daughter. "Okay, there you go. If you eat it all, then you can have ice cream."

The idea of ice cream perked her right up, and they finished their dinner with Annabelle still chattering away. Tobias sometimes joked with Tris that somehow, Christina had managed to influence their daughter even when they lived an ocean away. Tobias set up his laptop while they ate their ice cream, waiting for Tris's call. They'd just finished when it chirped. Tobias connected, and Tris's face filled the screen.

"Hi, Tobias!" Tris said cheerfully.

"Hey, Tris!" he responded. He lifted Annabelle so she sat on his lap.

"Hi, baby!" Tris said.

"Mommy!" Annabelle waved at the screen. "Hi, Mommy! I miss you."

"Aw, I miss you too, honey, but I'll be home in just a couple of days."

"Mommy, I won the football game!" Tobias stood, setting Annabelle on the chair so she could talk to her mother. He loved that Tris and Annabelle took such delight in each other. Tris had adjusted to motherhood like a pro. He was still a work in progress, but so far so good, he thought. He busied himself with loading the dirty dishes into the dishwasher and putting away the leftovers while they talked. When he finished, he turned to look at Annabelle. She might have his eyes and dark hair, but her features were all Tris's.

"Okay, baby, can I talk to Daddy for a minute? I love you and I'll see you soon."

"Okay, see you soon, Mommy!" Annabelle blew kisses at the screen and ran over to the small lounge where she pulled out her Legos. Tobias took her place at the table, smiling at his wife.

"Hey. How's your mom?"

"Doing well. It's been a challenge to get her to rest since she's feeling much better." Tris rolled her eyes. "She's so damned stubborn."

Tobias cleared his throat, resisting the urge to mention that Tris was exactly like her. Instead, he focused on the slightly drawn expression on her face. "How are you? You look tired."

Tris smiled. "Just a bit. Mom and I were running errands today. I let her drive for a while. She was thrilled." They laughed together. "You got the itinerary I sent?"

Tobias nodded. "Yeah, we'll be there to pick you up." He glanced over his shoulder to see where his daughter was, and lowered his voice. "I can't wait to get you back. You know I don't sleep as well without you."

Tris's lips curved in a smile. "I miss sleeping with you, too. I miss feeling you behind me."

"I miss being behind you, too," he said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Tris laughed. "I'm getting off the phone now." Her voice gentled. "I love you."

He smiled in return. "I love you, too. See you Monday."

xXx

Tris tucked the blanket around her now-sleeping daughter. She brushed a bit of Annabelle's soft, dark hair off her cheek, smiling warmly. After planting another kiss on her forehead, Tris straightened and carefully backed out of the bedroom, closing the door gently. It had taken two games of Candyland, a bath, and three Dr. Seuss books before Annabelle had finally calmed down enough to sleep. The excitement of the trip to the airport and having her mother home after ten days away combined to spin Annabelle up into a frenzy of energy. Tris didn't mind, actually. This trip had been the longest amount of time Tris had ever spent away from her daughter, and she had missed her fiercely.

She tiptoed down the stairs, hoping to spend an uninterrupted night alone with her husband. As she passed the living room, she saw two glasses and an open bottle of wine on the end table. She smiled and continued into the kitchen. Tobias was just starting the dishwasher when she slipped her arms around him from the back. She kissed him between his shoulder blades. "I missed you," she murmured.

He turned around and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm so glad you're home," he whispered into her hair.

She looked up at him and drew his head down to hers for a kiss. "Well, the place is still standing and Annabelle looks none the worse for wear," she teased.

He sighed. "I do have a confession," he admitted. Tris raised her eyebrows. "I really, really suck at braiding hair."

Tris laughed. "We can work on that. I noticed you had wine open in the living room."

"Yeah." He pulled away reluctantly, running his hands down her arms. He laced their fingers together and led her to the living room. He poured them each a glass, and Tris curled up next to him.

Tobias's fingers tangled into her hair as they sat together peacefully. Tris cupped the wineglass in her hands, staring at it. After a moment, he inquired gently, "You going to tell me what's on your mind?"

She looked up at him. "You can tell, huh?"

Tobias laughed softly. "Of course I can."

Tris pushed up and looked at him. "Do you remember my art history advisor at Northwestern, Johanna Baker?"

"Yeah, vaguely. Brown hair, hippie type, right?"

Tris snorted. "Yeah, that's her. Well, we had dinner while I was there. It turns out that her husband works at the Art Institute of Chicago. There's a position available there that she thinks I'd be good for."

"What's the job?"

Tris shifted nervously. "Director of Corporate Outreach."

"Wow." Tobias whistled. "Sounds like a pretty high-powered position."

Tris nodded. "I guess my name's gotten around since I've been working corporate accounts here in Manchester. I'm surprised, though. England isn't the U.S."

"Tris, you're terrific at your job. It's why Harrison had you working it," Tobias said loyally. He watched her carefully. "You interviewed, didn't you?"

"Not really, but Michael, Johanna's husband, joined us for dinner to talk to me about it."

"So what happened?"

Tris put the glass down on the end table. Tobias sipped at his glass, watching her over the rim. She was nervous, so Tobias had a good idea what she was about to say. "Michael knows Harrison, and he had already talked to him. Apparently, Harrison vouched for me. Michael wants to hire me."

"Of course he does," Tobias chuckled. He drained his wine glass and put it down on the floor next to the couch. "So, what do you want to do?"

"I don't know. It's a big job, a lot more money. And it's back home in Chicago." Tris gestured helplessly. "But our lives are here."

"Your parents would love it if Annabelle was closer. Not to mention our friends." Tobias shrugged. "It's not like we haven't talked about trying to go back to the States."

"You'd leave Manchester just so I could take a job?"

Tobias shrugged again. "You left the States for my job. I don't see why I shouldn't do the same."

Tris bit her lip. "But we've been so happy here. And you're one of ManU's most popular players."

"Things have been good here." He ran his hand down her hair. "But, Tris, I'm not going to be able to play forever. We both know that. I can finish out just as well with the Chicago Fire as I can with Manchester United. Hell, I could be traded at any time, so there's no guarantee I'd even stay here. I've got enough cachet that I'm sure I can get my agent to talk to the Fire. It's not like we need the money. The only question is, do you want to do it?"

Tris bit her lip. "I don't know."

Tobias leaned forward and brushed his lips across hers. "Then think about it. I'm good with whatever you decide."

"What if you can't get a spot on the Fire?" She was worried. It occurred to her that it was a reversal of the conversation they'd had years ago, with Tobias worrying about Tris giving up her life in the States just to be with him. There was just so much at stake. Now they had a family to consider.

Tobias grinned wickedly. "Then I can be a kept man. Arm candy for my high-powered wife."

Tris laughed heartily. "A househusband?"

He shrugged. "It could happen." They laughed together, knowing good and well that would never happen. Tobias sobered up slightly. "Seriously, Tris, I'll be fine. I'd love to go home to Chicago if that's what you want. Just think about it."

Tris smiled and leaned over to kiss her husband, pushing him backward so he was lounging against the couch. They kissed for long, luxurious minutes before Tris let her hands wander down to his zipper. She caressed him through his jeans and Tobias broke the kiss reluctantly.

He playfully rubbed his nose against hers. "What do you say we take this upstairs so I can welcome you home properly?" he whispered huskily.

Tris grinned. "I'd say 'follow me'." She rubbed against him for a moment before getting up and holding a hand out to him. He took it, and shut off the lamp with the other. Tobias stopped, squeezing her hand so she'd turn around.

"I'll follow you anywhere," he vowed, bringing her hand to his lips. Tris smiled and led him up the stairs.

They entered their darkened bedroom, Tobias closing the door behind them. He reached for the light and Tris said, "No, leave it off." Moonlight flooded their bedroom, bathing it in a silvery glow. Tris turned to him, putting her hands on his chest. Tobias reached out, pushing her hair behind her ears. His fingers trailed lightly along her jawline, gently lifting her chin. Tris marveled at the fact that after all these years, he could still make her heart race. His lips descended on hers, brushing them together teasingly. Tris smiled against him as his hands tightened on her hips. She unbuttoned his shirt slowly, parting it to allow her hands to slide around his waist.

Their kiss grew more heated as they pressed their bodies together. Tobias loved the feel of Tris's hands sliding over the muscles of his back. She pushed his shirt off his shoulders as he maneuvered her closer to the bed. She pushed him down on the bed and pulled her long sleeved t-shirt over her head. Tobias leaned back on his elbows, grinning up at her. Tris slowly shimmied out of her jeans, and with her eyes on his, she reached behind her to unhook her bra. She let it fall off her shoulders and drop to the floor. Tobias licked his lips and urged her on. "Keep going," he said, proud that his voice didn't crack. She slid out of her underwear and straightened.

"You need to catch up," she teased, leaning down to unbutton and unzip his jeans. He helpfully lifted his hips as she pulled off his jeans and boxers at the same time. Once he was naked, Tris gave a satisfied nod. "That's much better," she said, admiring him with her hands on her hips.

Tobias stood and pulled the covers back with one hand, reaching for her with the other and pulling her into bed with him. They settled into bed, Tobias capturing her mouth in deep, soft kisses that made her head swim. His hands moved over her, caressing gently at first, then growing bolder and firmer as the passion built between them. Tris gasped when he took her nipple in his mouth. She urged him back to her mouth, the pressure just a bit too much on her sensitive skin.

"Don't make me wait anymore," she whispered. Tobias ran his hand down her side, lifting her thigh and settling himself between her legs. He pushed forward, sliding into her until he was buried to the hilt. Tris let out a groan of pleasure as he filled her, the sensation stoking her desire. She pulled his head down, kissing him as he began to move inside her.

He moved slowly, his thrusts leisurely. He resisted Tris's efforts to go faster, wanting to tease her, drench her in pleasure. Ten days might not be a terribly long time, but Tobias had missed her so much. He had gotten used to being the one who needed to leave for a game; it hadn't occurred to him how much different it would feel to be the one left behind. Every touch, every kiss felt like a homecoming; Tobias never wanted to be away from her again.

Tris arched her back, his slow movements making her writhe with every thrust. She moaned loudly when she felt his soft lips nibbling at her neck; she couldn't take much more. "Tobias, please." She stifled her cry when he finally complied, moving faster, thrusting harder. Tris grabbed his shoulders, her fingers digging in painfully. "More," she gasped out.

So he gave her more. He moved against her fiercely, reaching down to hitch her leg over his arm. Strong thrusts, the brush of his tongue against her neck, and his breath puffing against her face combined to push Tris over the edge. She muffled her cry against his shoulder, her muscles tensed as she tumbled headlong into ecstasy.

The clench of her inner muscles against him was nearly too much for Tobias. He held on, moving erratically against her, hoping to prolong her pleasure. She recovered from her high, and concentrated on Tobias, sucking the skin of his neck into her mouth. She nibbled delicately, intending to mark him as her own, while simultaneously squeezing his muscular ass in rhythm with his thrusting. It was the tipping point for Tobias, who grunted as intense, unrelenting waves of pleasure washed over him, until he finally collapsed against Tris with a sigh.

Tris closed her eyes, a soft smile on her face as she ran her fingers through his hair. She stretched a little beneath him, all her muscles relaxed. He took a deep breath and gathered the energy to slide out and off of her. Tris kissed his back as she reached down and pulled the covers over them. When she settled back down, Tobias, who hadn't moved from his face down position, threw an arm around her waist and a leg over hers, drawing her to him. He nestled his face into the curve between her neck and shoulder. "Welcome home," he mumbled.

Tris sighed, "It's good to be home." She paused, choosing her next words carefully. "Speaking of being home, I do have a present for you, but it'll take a little while to get here." She felt him smile against her shoulder.

"I guess I can be patient. How long is a little while?"

She trailed her fingers along his forearm. "About six and a half more months." He nodded and Tris grinned, waiting for her words to sink in. When they did, she laughed at how fast he shot up.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" he asked, excitement and surprise both evident in his voice.

Tris leaned forward and kissed him lightly. "I'm hoping for a boy this time."

Tobias wanted to let out a triumphant whoop, but he also didn't want to wake Annabelle. He dropped back down next to Tris and pulled her into his arms. She rested her ear against his chest, the fast beat confirming his joy and excitement. "Did I surprise you?" she asked.

"Hell, yeah," he grinned.

She raised up, propping her chin on his chest. "Happy?"

Tobias's expression turned serious. "I told you once that you make me happier than I ever thought I could be." He brushed her hair back, cupping her face in his hand. "It's still true. I've loved you most of my life. And God knows, I'll love you for the rest of it."

Tris hugged him tightly, unable to speak around the lump in her throat. After taking a moment to get herself under control, she said, "Even if you're a househusband in Chicago?"

He laughed. "Even if." They snuggled together, warm and happy in their cozy bed. "It doesn't matter where we are."

Tris smiled. Tobias was right. Where they were, whether Chicago or Manchester or outer space, didn't matter. As long as they were together with the family they'd created, that was all they'd ever need.