Well, there's this chapter, then the very short, fluffy epilogue I have written out. I have a lot to say, but I'll wait until I post that. You guys are amazing.

After a few weeks, their routine became easier, more natural. They settled comfortably into something that worked for them, something they could both handle. They would alternate who got up when Annabelle woke up during the night in a way that both of them still got enough sleep to function during the day, Ziva as a full-time mom and Tony as a full-time federal agent. Every morning, Tony would make himself coffee, which he was keeping Ziva's cabinet filled with, and at some point, Ziva would get up long enough to see him before he left. She'd give him a quick peck on the cheek, usually, and see him off.

Every afternoon, he would come back and greet her with a smile that made her feel like she was worth more than gold. And even though she managed just fine throughout the day, she couldn't help the little burst of relief mixed with joy that she felt whenever he walked through the door.

"Have you been buying coffee?" Ziva asked one day when he got home, her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion.

He couldn't help the laugh that escaped him. "Ziva, I've been doing that for three weeks."

She pursed her lips, shaking her head and chuckling at herself. "I guess I have been tired. I noticed today that I should definitely be out by now, but I am not."

He shrugged, his chest still shaking slightly with laughter. "You're welcome," he told her, throwing a wink at her.

"I am not sure what I would do if you weren't here," she said in a teasing voice, but there was a serious undertone that he picked up on. He smiled at her, and was seriously considering kissing her when a small cry came from down the hall.

"I'll get her," Tony said eagerly, heading toward the nursery. He leaned down to pick Annabelle up out of her crib, wincing just a little as his back cracked.

"Is your back bothering you?" Ziva inquired from the door as Tony straightened. He gave her a dismissive look and a shake of his head.

"It's fine." He turned his attention back to Annabelle and smiled down at her. To be honest, all the nights on her couch were starting to bother him, but there wasn't any way he was going to stop staying there.

"How was your day?" he asked the infant in his arms, putting his finger in her hand. Her cries quieted and she looked up at him with wide eyes. He made a face at her, grinning in accomplishment when she smiled.

"You know," Ziva started, sounding uncertain, and Tony lifted his head to look at her. "If your back is... bothering you, you do not have to sleep on the couch."

He knew what she was offering, and he knew trying to joke it off was pointless, but it didn't stop him from trying. "Well, the recliner probably isn't any more-"

"Tony." Her voice was firm, and he stopped short. She was giving him an exasperated look, but there wasn't any force behind it. "I am not asking you to sleep on the recliner."

He took a step closer to her, smiling sheepishly. "Yeah, I know."

"Okay then," she said, looking up at him. He stared at her for a moment, smirking. She rolled her eyes at him, grinning despite her attempt to be annoyed at him. He laughed at her and she rolled her eyes again. He thought she was out of any other responses, but when she put her hand gently on the arm holding Annabelle and leaned up to press quick kiss to his lips, he was proved wrong.

And that night, when they went to go to bed, he climbed in beside her. Their knees brushed as they did so, and there was a moment where neither of them was really sure how much the other was willing to give or take. Then, slowly, Ziva moved closer to him, settling her head just above his shoulder. He leaned his head against hers, and it was enough for the moment despite the fact that he desperately wanted her closer.

By the time they each got up twice with Annabelle and woke up in the morning, Ziva's head was on Tony's shoulder and they both had one arm around the other's waist.

He slept in her bed every night after that, too, and after the second night, they didn't begin each night with simply lying next to each other. They just let themselves get wrapped in each other's arms from the second they climbed into bed.

If it was anyone else, it would seem as if the more serious aspect of their relationship was progressing at too quick of a rate, but it was them, and that made a difference. It felt as if their "relationship" had been progressing for years, and that their newly found closeness was just an extension of that development.

Every once in a while, Tony would go to his apartment and get more clothes to wear or wash the ones he'd been wearing, but he had practically moved in with Ziva and neither of them really minded. On the night after Annabelle turned three months old, Tony and Ziva were lying in her bed as they usually did, but Ziva wasn't going to sleep. Instead, she was drawing patterns into Tony's chest, her lips pursed in thought. He turned his head to look at her, a glint in his eyes. She gave him a small half smile, and the uncertainty in her gaze was enough to worry him.

"So, I was thinking," she began, and Tony turned his body so that he was on his side, facing her. Her hand slipped from his chest to rest on the bed.

"About what?" he asked, watching her closely.

She could feel her nerves picking up even though she knew it was silly to be nervous. She was sure her offer wouldn't be turned down, but the concept still made her stomach twist into knots. "I was thinking... you practically already live here. You might as well move the rest of your stuff here. You know, officially move in."

He gave a sort of nod, the best that can be given lying down, but then he grinned at her. "I've been thinking, too."

She looked at him questioningly. "Oh?"

His grin widened slightly. "Yeah. I was thinking that your apartment is great, but for the three of us? It's a little small. There is an apartment complex between here and my apartment. I've already looked into it, and it's bigger than what you have, but not too huge. And compared to what we pay combined right now, it's cheaper. We could rent one of those for a while, and..." For a moment, she thought he was going to say more, but then he seemed to decide against it. "And... yeah," he finished a little awkwardly, giving her a sheepish smile.

Ziva felt her heart skip in her chest, and before she'd registered the motion, she'd taken his face in her hands and kissed him with all the passion she could muster. His hands slowly wound around her waist and he pulled her as close as possible. When they parted, she had tears in her eyes and a goofy grin on her face.

"How long have you been thinking about this?" she asked, curious.

His face fell slightly, and he reached for her hand, playing with her fingers. "Well, when I first found out you were pregnant, I... uh, I looked into a few places just... just to see. And then last week, I went back to the few that I had looked at before and... found the one that I liked the best. If you want to go actually look at them, that would be okay but-"

Ziva silenced him with a quick kiss. "I think that whatever you have picked out is fine," she whispered against his lips, and he smiled.

"Okay."

Nearly three weeks later, with the help of the rest of the team, Tony and Ziva moved all of their stuff out of their old apartments and into their new one. It took almost the entire day, but in the end, the day was a success. That night, they celebrated their new beginning with everyone at the new place. Abby went on and on about how happy she was that everything had worked out so perfectly while cooing relentlessly at Annabelle, and while Gibbs stayed mostly silent, his approval was strong in the way he looked at them. The rest of the team talked and laughed through the evening, with Tony and Ziva just soaking in all the love and happiness being shared.

At about nine, everyone said their goodbyes and left. When Tony closed the door, he turned and enveloped Ziva in his arms, pulling her close and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "That was nice," he said conversationally, and she nodded, giving him a small smile.

"It was."

"So..." Tony tilted his head at her. "We're all good?"

The question could have a lot of meanings, but Ziva knew the one that Tony was mostly aiming for. "Yes," she told him firmly. "I have not even second guessed anything since..." She trailed off, smiling at the fond memory.

"Since what?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"There was one night I walked into the nursery and... you were rocking Annabelle and singing to her." Ziva's voice grew quiet, and she broke their eye contact. "I stood there for a few minutes and watched you. It was... it was a beautiful sight. And..." She shrugged and looked back up at him. Her eyes were shining slightly. "It was then that I was... absolutely sure I had made the right decision. I have not given it another thought since that night."

Tony smiled and pulled her to him, laughing softly to himself. She buried her head in his neck and her chest swelled with affection. He let her go long enough to kiss her, his hands tangling in her hair. When they separated, he let his forehead fall to rest against hers, his hands running through her hair and then finding her waist.

"God, I love you," he said, and then he realized that he'd spoken aloud. For a moment, he was afraid that it was too far, that the step would be too much, but then Ziva smiled at him, and he relaxed.

She hesitated only a brief moment. "I... I love you, too." She turned to look around at their apartment. "I never thought we'd end up here. It's not exactly where I pictured myself a year ago."

"I guess it is... a change. But... I don't know. I think we would have wound up here eventually anyway. Besides, it's working out with a lot less stress than I imagined." Tony followed Ziva's eyes around the apartment that already felt like home, in a strange way.

Ziva nodded, almost as if to herself, and then grinned. "Maybe it is a sign."

He didn't respond because Annabelle stirred from her spot on a blanket in the floor, and Ziva's attention was transferred as a result. He watched her as she slipped from his arms and picked up their little girl, holding her close. It was the most beautiful image he could have ever imagined, watching his family from across the room, except he wasn't imagining it.

It was real, and even though it had all happened so unexpectedly, it was absolutely perfect in every way possible.