Summary: Five years after they first babysit together, Tony and Ziva find themselves married with two children. A story about how they got here and who they are now. Ten-chapter sequel to 'Sitting on the Baby'. Takes place mid-season 7 and ignores any character revelations that happen after that.

Disclaimer: Well, almost everything in this story is mine. Can't I just claim NCIS as mine too? Over Bellisario's dead body? Okay...NCIS is not mine. I don't want to kill anyone.

Spoilers: General seasons 3 - 6.

Thanks to Different Child, Hundan, and Shipperwolf for leaving nice reviews for Sitting on the Baby, encouraging me to write a fic with Tiva Children in it. Thanks to Cam, Sara, and Ash for giving me the go-ahead. And a tremendous amount of thanks to Tara for reading through the entire thing and giving me your opinions! You're the best. :D

I'm back! (Which must be obvious by now.) This took me a week and tons of research to write, so I hope you like it. Forgive me if I get anything wrong; I haven't actually married or had kids before. There are two important things I must say - one is that this story will make more sense if you've read Sitting on the Baby, or else you won't get some references and Ziva might sound slightly insane; another is that this is NOT a fluffy family fic, and by that I mean you won't find cutesey Tiva problems in it. It is fluffy, of course, but also very angsty.

And with that, please read, enjoy, and review!

-Soph

I. Not So Hypothetical After All

A parent's intuition works in strange ways, and it was what awoke them before the baby had even started crying. A second later a weak wail floated into the room through the baby monitor. Ziva rolled over onto her side and pushed herself into a sitting position without opening her eyes.

"Mmm," Tony mumbled, not opening his eyes either. He stifled a yawn. "I'll get him."

"It is fine," Ziva answered, completely awake by now. "I will be back soon."

She stood up easily and padded out of the room, and Tony drifted back to sleep. He didn't even notice when she returned. She slid into bed and snuggled up beside him, looping one of his arms around her. In ten minutes both were dead to the world, forgetting they'd been woken up in the first place.

xoxo

They never know what to say when other parents ask them how they met. The literal answer is of course always the easiest – we met at work – but it hardly describes their entire complicated relationship. It probably isn't a good idea to say, Ziva was sent by her father to kill her brother who killed my partner and I ended up falling in love with her, or a few years later Tony killed my boyfriend and I did not think I could work with him so I went to the desert to get captured and tortured. So they invented a story of romantic love and fairy-tale endings, and when anyone asks for details, it is this well-woven lie they tell. It doesn't bother them in the slightest, because they know the truth, and they know they love each other more dearly than anything in the world; that's all that matters.

Their daughter is almost three now, and in the eyes of her parents the cutest thing to ever set foot upon Earth. Ziva had been right; their children would, and do, look like her, with their dark hair and dark skin. Tony thinks they even have a bit of her ninja ability, because he swears they can sense him coming from a mile away. To his eternal pride and joy, however, their son has his eyes. This is something he never grows tired of pointing out, and Ziva lets him, because she knows that a proud father is possibly the best thing that a child can have.

xoxo

Ziva was already up and getting ready for work the next time Tony awoke. It never failed to amaze him how she could get dressed and tie up her hair in complete darkness. He watched as she went into the bathroom and turned on the light; it was probably a sign that she wasn't a robot in disguise if she needed light to put on the few hints of makeup she wore.

She came out and sat down on the edge of the bed, running her fingers through his hair. "Good morning." She smiled down at him.

"How did you know I was awake?"

"Four years of marriage, and you are still asking that?"

"I'm too sleepy to think of a good retort right now."

"Expected, and that was why I asked. Your coffee is in the kitchen."

"Thanks. Why'd Ben wake up last night?"

"I do not know; perhaps he heard a car. He and Lila will be waking up soon. You should really get up."

He burrowed into the sheets and groaned. "Can't they get themselves breakfast for once?" his muffled voice asked pitifully.

"That is something I should like to see," Ziva replied dryly. "I am also waiting for the moment they dress themselves. It should happen in the next few minutes."

His head popped out and he gazed at her. "Sarcasm is the refuge of a shallow mind."

"So you have told me." She leant down and kissed him. "I have to go, before Gibbs kills me."

"You know, that man's gettin' on in age. He should really think about retiring."

Ziva's eyes dimmed for a moment. "His best successor left."

"McGee's a pretty capable agent."

"Yes, but we both know Gibbs is a creature of habit. He had gotten used to the idea of your taking over."

Tony was silent, because his wife was right; Gibbs was, unconsciously, still waiting for Tony to come in and take over his responsibilities.

Ziva started to speak again. "I-"

"It was my choice, Zi," he assured her. "Breakfast jokes aside, there's nothing I would rather be doing. Gibbs knows that."

"You're an unusual man," Ziva murmured, and Tony chuckled.

"Who would've ever thought I'd make a good househusband?"

"You should hear McGee at work; he is enjoying making those jokes about you. Abby scolds him for it, but he will not stop."

"Probie deserves his payback, after all these years. Hmm. Tell him the ballpoint pen is just a loan. "

"Yes." She got up. "Alright, goodbye. I will see you and the children later."

xoxo

They can never answer questions about how they got together either. It wasn't exactly straightforward and simple – and yet it was, in a way, because it had crept up upon them so slowly that neither of them had had much opportunity to back out. Which is a good thing, really, because backing out is what they used to do best.

They didn't know anything had changed the night they babysat together. The talks about hypothetical children were fun, but they were after all Tony and Ziva, colleagues and friends, and both had thought hypothetical was about as close as they would get.

But a wish was born in Tony's heart; a yearning, a fantasy, a dream – call it what you will. For when you talk about family with someone you're in love with, you can't help but to wish it's true. And wish he did, with every particle of his heart and soul. Of course, he didn't think there was the remotest chance it would come true, but that's never stopped anyone before.

And as for Ziva – well, Tony has always been her American Dream, hasn't he?