Summary: Ben has an unusual request for his mother.

Disclaimer: Babies—I did not invent them. Nor did I create NCIS. However, Lila and Ben belong to meeeee...

Spoilers: None. This fic contains my OC Tiva babies, but you don't really need to be well-acquainted with them to read this.

Dedication: Mikey, this is for you! I just wrote this, haha, so no one's ever seen it before :D I hope you feel better soon!

Enjoy!

-Soph


Comforter

"Mommy, I want a com-orter," Ben says, tugging at his mother's pants.

"A com-orter?" Ziva asks in confusion, looking up from the laundry she's folding. She scoops Ben up into her lap and ruffles his hair. "What's a com-orter?"

"Blankie. Like on TV."

"Oh, a comforter. But you sleep in a crib, Ben, and they don't have crib-sized comforters."

Ben pouts disappointedly. "But I want a com-orter."

She laughs. "We can get you one when you're bigger, like your sister has in her Big Girl bed. How about that?"

"When is bigger?"

"In a few years' time."

"I have Big Boy bed?"

"Yes. In a few years' time, you will have a Big Boy bed."

"Now?"

She shakes her head. "You're too small for a Big Boy bed now, Ben. But I can make you a quilt for your crib. Will that work?"

"What is a qilt?"

"A quilt's another type of blanket."

"Like a com-orter?"

"A bit, yes. It is very pretty."

Ben considers that, absent-mindedly sticking his thumb into his mouth. "Okay."

She gently pulls his hand away from his mouth and kisses his cheek. "Okay. You want to go play with your sister?"

"She making mud pies again," he informs her. "Giving them to Daddy. I don't like mud pies."

"Why not?"

"Daddy says can't eat them."

"Your abba is right," she tells him, resisting the urge to laugh again. "Do you want to help me fold the laundry, then?"

"Yeah!"

"Okay." She sits him atop the dining table and pulls a pair of his pants out from the pile of laundry. Then she places it before him and covers his hands with hers, gently guiding his movements. "See, you fold it like this…"