So, I said in the note on either the 30th or 31st chapter of TKD:CE, that I had gotten two great ideas for my AU. This is one of them. I have it all planned out, but I am a little frazzled currently, so, while I have the first three or four chapters written, it may be a longer wait for the rest. Sorry. But, I hope you enjoy this, and let me know what you think!

-owl

P.S. the start of this makes it sound like this is gonna be a 'babies ever after' story (that is the term I'm thinking of, right?) but I needed to get the names in to be able to have this match the information about the kids that was in the coronation chapter of the original work... Also, there is a little bit of an odd time skip, but I think it is necessary, so...

-owl

There comes a time in every ruler's life that one must make the decision to produce an heir. This Tony knew as he watched the midwives rush into the bedchambers of him and his wife. Neither of them had been expecting it when Ziva became pregnant, but after their initial surprise and panic, they were able to see it as a blessing.

Now, with Ziva again in labor, Tony was panicking again, sitting outside his door where he had been banished to. Firstly, he was not good with kids, and was frankly terrified of them if the truth must be told. Secondly, his father had been such a bad father to him, so he had no role model. And, thirdly, Tony was panicking about his wife. After all, the most dangerous time for a woman was during childbirth.

"Tony!" a voice snapped from beside him, alerting him to the fact that someone had taken a seat next to him without him so much as noticing. When he turned he saw Tim with his one year old son, Isaiah.

"You need to take a deep breath." The knight continued, gently rocking Isaiah in his arms. "You and I both know that Ziva is too stubborn to let herself die in childbirth. Both she and your child will be fine."

Tony looked at him with what had to be a look of sheer panic on his face. "But—" he tried to say.

Tim shook his head. "No, no buts. Ziva will be fine and that is final."

And in the morning light, the streaks of sun shining across Tim's face, Tony could almost consider his best friend wise. At least, if looks were enough to constitute the amount of wisdom one possessed.

"How did you manage it, twice?" Tony asked, finally, after a stretch of silence.

Tim shrugged. "Who says I managed it well? For sure the first time I was terrified. Then when Isaiah came I calmed down a little bit."

Anything else he was going to say was then interrupted by Isaiah beginning to cry. Tim sighed and stood up, an apologetic look on his face. "Sorry, Tony, I've got to go find Abby. It looks like Isaish needs her. I'll be back at some point, if only to bring you something to eat."

Tony nodded and watched as his friend walked quickly down the hall, trying to shush the baby in his arms as he went.

Shortly after the bell rang for midnight Tony was woken from his light doze by the sound of a crying baby. Looking around and seeing that Tim was no longer next to him as he had been for most of the day, he came to the conclusion that the cry must have come from his child.

With a sudden rush of energy, Tony burst through the doors of his room to pass the midwives as they left. Ziva was laying on the bed, a small bundle held close to her chest. She looked up when he approached. She gave him a grin, her eyes shining with happiness though she looked drained.

"It's a girl," she said, offering the bundle in her arms to him.

Carefully, Tony took his child, his daughter. Her soft brown eyes were open, looking hazily at him. Her tiny mouth opened in a yawn before her eyes closed. Then Tony gave the child back to Ziva, not willing to risk dropping her by accident.

"What do we want to name her?" he asked.

"Talia, Tali for short" Ziva suggested. "After my younger sister."

Tony nodded in agreement. "Talia."

Then their peace was broken by the arrival of Abby. Tim had managed to keep her at bay throughout the evening, but now that her niece had arrived, there seemed to be no stopping her. Toddling behind her was her older son, Oliver. He was three and would rarely be seen apart from his mother.

"She's so precious!" Abby cooed in a soft voice as she sat on the bed next to Ziva. "I'm so proud of you, Ziva."

Ziva smiled at her and offered for her to hold Tali. Abby gladly took the opportunity and cradled Tali in her arms, clutched against her chest.

By the time that Tali was three, she had the run of the castle. No one dared to stop her. Partly because she had carved a place in the staff's hearts, and partly because even at the age of three, she had mastered the glare that her mother was known for.

For just over half of the year, when Abby and Tim were staying at the castle, Tali's cousins followed her every step. Oliver was now six, Isaiah four, and their little brother Eugene was two. Though Eugene stayed mainly with Abby or Tim, and wasn't seen much with the cousins. And even though Tali was the youngest of the group, the older boys followed her with no hesitation.

Then the day that would live forever in Tony's mind came about. It was the end of spring, and Tali, Oliver, and Isaiah had been playing in the mud by the training grounds. As Oliver had told it, a pretty butterfly had been flying near them. Tali had decided that the insect had needed to be caught, and she and the boys had chased after it.

They followed it around to the back of the castle, where the outer wall was starting to crumble and have gaps. Oliver said that there was a pair of men standing there, and they had smiled with a sick sort of glee when they saw the princess. Tali was grabbed by the bigger of the two men.

Oliver had sent Isaiah to get Ziva or Tim from the training grounds as he drew his training sword. The man holding Tali scaled the wall and disappeared, but the other had stayed put, more than likely trying to determine if the six year old was a true threat.

As far as Tony knew, from when Isaiah had been sent to get his wife until Ziva had met up with Oliver, the older child had wacked the guy with his blunt-edged sword.

Ziva had dragged the man into the dungeons, after sending her oldest nephew towards Tim and Isaiah. The man was tortured until he finally told Ziva who had hired him, and where her precious daughter was being transported to.