Warnings: Spoilers for Season 11, specifically regarding Jimmy and Breena adopting.

A/N: Last chapter! I have a one-shot that takes place after this, based on "Dressed to Kill". I'll post that soon. The next story is going to time jump by a few months.

Thank you for reading and continuing to favorite, review and follow my work! It means a lot to me :)

Tony was still unnerved by the line of questioning from the hearing that afternoon, but he was doing his best to let it roll off his shoulders as he picked Leah up for a night out with his team. They were going out to celebrate Jimmy and Breena getting the adoption papers approved. And just because it had been awhile since they had all gone out.

Leah sensed that Tony was bothered by something but she didn't ask him about it. She got into his car, smiled warmly and kissed his cheek. "Smile," she ordered him, "this is supposed to be a celebration!"

"Sorry, I've had a long day," Tony mumbled as he pulled the car away from the curb. "Court always puts me in a bad mood."

"Did it not go well?" Leah inquired.

"No, it went well," he replied. "JAG managed to get him to sign a deal. He's going to jail for twenty-five years."

She was confused as to why he was so grumpy then. "Well, that's good...right?"

He shrugged. "I guess."

"Tony, what's bothering you?"

"Damn defense lawyer tried to get me to condone his client's actions by cornering me into admitting I've thought about hitting you."

Leah looked at him nervously. "Have you? Thought about hitting me?"

Tony glanced at her as he stopped the car at a light. He could see the slight fear in her eyes. "Oh sweetheart," he whispered, reaching out and grabbing a hold of her hand. "I have never, ever thought about hitting you. My father may have been a drunk most of my childhood but he never hurt my mother and it was the one thing he truly taught me. I would never, will never raise a hand to you."

"I know," she whispered as he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. "Guess...well isn't that the fear of every woman?"

"What fear would that be?"

"Falling in love with a monster."

He thought about it for a moment as the light turned green and he pushed the car forward. It seemed simple to him that Kristine could have left Patrick all those years ago, but she hadn't, not until it was too late and her husband had so much control over her that he was out of control. But it wasn't that simple. Kristine had still loved that man despite all his flaws and violence. "It still doesn't give a man the right to use physical violence to exert dominance over a woman."

She gave his hand a squeeze. "Tony, I never thought you'd hurt me. But it's just...it's just nice to hear you say it."

Tony pulled the car up into a parking space in front of the bar they were meeting the team at. He shut the car down and turned towards her. "Leah," he said, firmly, "Have you...has someone hurt you before?"

"No, I...I had a roommate in college," Leah replied. "Her boyfriend was...well...controling. He scared me and we barely spoke."

"Controlling in the sense that he was physically abusive?"

"Physically, verbally-you name it."

"Leah, what happened to your roommate?"

Her eyes filled with tears but she managed to hold them back. "Committed suicide because she didn't think she was good enough for him. I vowed to myself, after they found her, that I was never going to let a man do that to me. I've walked away from a lot of relationships that have had potential because I could see them becoming...well...not so good."

He studied her face for a moment before kissing her, tenderly. "Wow, we're just spilling all kinds of personal information tonight, aren't we?"

"My roommate killing herself, just like your dad being a drunk, they made us who we are," she pointed out.

"I've never been this open with anyone before, Leah."

"Should I feel special?"

Tony chuckled. "You should feel very special."

Leah rolled her eyes playfully before she got out of the car, Tony following behind her. They entered the crowded bar, Tony guiding her towards the back table with a hand on the small of her back. Jimmy and Breena were there, Tim and Delilah, and Abby, and he could see that they were all looking at photographs of something

When they got closer he could see that they were sonograms of a baby-the baby that Jimmy and Breena were going to be adopting. It was hard to believe that their little, shy, awkward autopsy gremlin was all grown up. But there was the evidence right in front of him in the form of incredibly detailed photographs of a baby still in utero.

Tony congratulated both Jimmy and Breena, but let Leah do all the gushing over the photographs. The girls were more eager to discuss baby names and things that he didn't really care to talk about, and while Tim went to get another round of beers, Tony peered down at the photographs. A long time ago he'd thought about what it would be like to be a dad, when he had been engaged to Wendy, and he'd thought about it again after Jeanne had left. He realized that he'd spent a lot of time longing for those families that he'd lost before he'd ever really obtained them.

Now, as Leah looked up and smiled at him, he realized he wanted nothing more than to perhaps have a family with her. It was probably cheesy, but he could see them together with children, in that sweet smile she gave him.

"Okay, beers all around," Tim announced, putting the bottles down on the high-top table. He caught the look in Tony's eyes and grinned, "You think you'll ever have one of these someday?" he asked gesturing towards the photographs.

"Maybe. You?" Tony threw back at his partner, who got a stunned look in his eyes.

"Yeah...yeah I'd like to be a dad someday."

Tony smirked at him. "But you're surprised I'd want to be one."

Tim nervously looked at Jimmy. "Well...to be honest...I am. You just...you didn't seem interested in that."

"Guess some things just change," Tony said, grinning and making eye contact with Leah one more time. And change, he decided, wasn't such a bad thing after all.