This is part of my family series, and for some reason I feel like I should warn that there is breast-feeding involved, haha. Also, I don't know if that is at all the proper ... protocol, but my knowledge in this area is woefully deficient. Haha!

Enjoy!

-Soph


Elusiveness

"No. No. No. Where is it?" Tony frantically digs through the blanket and pillows, searching for the elusive object.

"Hurry up!" Ziva hisses, shifting Lila onto her other arm and patting the baby comfortingly.

"What do you think I'm doing?" He hisses back. "Why don't you come over here and look yourself? I don't know where she's put it."

"Well, I would, but I am busy holding her. Where is the other one?"

"I don't know. You're the one who kept all of them."

"And that's your excuse for not knowing? I kept the spare in the changing table, but it's gone now."

"Well, I didn't take it."

"And Lila did, is that so?"

He pauses in his search and sighs at his wife. "Look, we can find the other one later. We just need to find this one now."

"Before the neighbours wake up."

"Yeah. Oh my God, can you just … breastfeed her or something?"

"You want me to shut her up with my breast."

"That would work."

Rolling her eyes, Ziva unbuttons her top and shifts Lila to her breast, ignoring his leer. "Continue searching," she hisses at him as Lila sucks on her and falls quiet. She throws her free hand up in exasperation. "Great. This works. We can go back to bed now. I will just hold her like that for the next few months."

Tony chuckles despite his tiredness and presses a quick kiss to his wife's cheek before bending over the crib again. "We'll find it, Zi."

Ziva sinks down into the chair by the crib and leans her head exhaustedly against its back. "Before or after sunrise?"

"Preferably before. I don't think Gibbs would appreciate you showing up to work with a baby attached." She hums her assent. "Found it!"

He whoops in triumph and hands Ziva the pacifier. Taking it gratefully, she waits for Lila to unlatch before putting the pacifier into her mouth. It only takes a few minutes for the baby to go back to sleep. She slips Lila back into her crib, tucking the baby in and making sure that the bed clothes aren't loose.

Then she leans back against her husband, blinking sleepily as she seeks his comforting touch. He slips an arm around her waist and kisses her temple. "C'mon, tesorina mia. Bedtime."


A/N: Tesorina mia is Italian; loosely translates to "my little treasure" (feminine), if I haven't remembered wrongly.