This idea started because I have had a Christmas carol playing on a loop in my head for the past three weeks and it's one I haven't even heard yet this year! Rather than let it drive me crazy, I decided to just start typing and see what came out. After a little tweaking I got this. On the upside, I don't have the carol stuck in my head anymore. On the downside, I now have a Carrie Underwood song stuck in my head.

I challenge you to name the carol that started this.

Tony walked through the light snow up the front steps of the NCIS building, saying hello to the night guard, on his way to debrief Director Vance.

Home. Finally home.

Tony had been on another special assignment for SecNav. This time it was investigating a marine colonel in Seattle who had way more money in his accounts than any officer's pay. After 5 long months and several strange conversations, Tony found out that the colonel wasn't selling classified information like SecNav had first suspected. He was just running a call girl agency out of his estate. Embarrassing, yes; matter of National Security, no. The large transactions were bribes from prominent clients hoping to buy the colonel's silence.

Tony snorted at the thought. The colonel was singing like a bird when Tony left to finally head back to Washington.

5 months. It's been way to long since I was home.

While it had been hard being away from his "family" that long, he had to admit it was better this time. He had been able to contact the team and at least let them know he wasn't dead yet before harassing Probie, listening to Abby's excited rabbles, saying something stupid to Gibbs because you can't get head-slapped through the phone, or just bantering with Ziva. SecNav had been adamant that Tony couldn't tell the team what he was doing. So, over drinks the next day, Tony told them that he couldn't tell them he was on another assignment for SecNav, that he couldn't tell them that he would probably be gone for a while, and couldn't tell them how much he really disliked the new SecNav. Looking around at their faces he was met with understanding and resigned acceptance. No one liked when their "family" was broken up. During the assignment, they emailed and called, always talking about non-mission things; Abby's new tattoo, McGee's new book idea, ways to make Probie pay if he ever publishes another book. Even Gibbs called now and then to make sure Tony was okay and that he wasn't in over his head. Training a new senior field agent takes too much patience. It stayed like that until he had to break contact and go undercover about a month ago to get the evidence he needed. The others probably didn't even know he was coming home today.

Tony shook his head. It was over now. All he had to do now was the standard debrief with Vance. SecNav had insisted (read: threatened) that Tony inform him the moment the case was solved. Tony took great pleasure calling him at 23:00 in Seattle, 02:00 in the morning in D.C., and giving him the full debriefing over encrypted channels. Of course, the SecNav "thanked" Dinozzo by booking him on a commercial flight that left at 22:00 that day, leaving Tony 23 hours to pack and prepare to return to Washington. Being far too caffeinated to sleep, Tony used to his remaining hours in Seattle to pack, finish to his report, and to find gifts for the others. He figured he could sleep on the plane; he was wrong. The SecNav had been "extremely generous" after the early hour debriefing, booking Tony a seat in coach with the kangaroo kid behind him. Tony spent the entire time hoping his back would survive the flight and wondering if the parents of the kid were blind and deaf. When he got up to walk around the plane to stretch his legs, Tony found out the parents were probably neither blind nor deaf, just asleep. Lucky them.

So here he was, exhausted after going about 45 hours without sleep, riding the elevator up to the squad room to deliver a report he knew probably wasn't needed until tomorrow. Looking up from the ground when the soft ping announced he was at his floor, Tony was surprised to see a Christmas tree, garland, mistletoe, and holiday decorations covering the bullpen. Checking the convenient wall clock/calendar, Tony was surprised to see it was 3:00 on Christmas morning. Sure, he knew it was winter and that Thanksgiving had been about a month ago but how did miss that today was Christmas?! Shaking his head, Tony looked into the bullpen on his way up to Vance's office. Ziva was there, asleep on her paperwork. Tony smirked at the fact her snoring had mysteriously vanishing after that undercover mission so long ago. McGee was asleep too. He was lying on the floor with his jacket as a blanket and using Bert as a pillow. Abby had been here recently. Gibbs wasn't in the bullpen but Tony figured he must be on his third coffee run of the day. The team must have been going hard on a case tonight and probably had been going hard for a while judging from the fact that Ziva didn't stir at all as Tony walked past on his way up to the director's office. Tony followed in his mentor's footsteps as he walked right in to Vance's office. Vance raised an eyebrow but decided against commenting on the overly-dramatic entrance, taking in Dinozzo's travel bag, tired appearance, and the three day scruff he had forgotten to shave off. After Vance quickly read the report and asking the standard questions about the mission, Tony asked why Vance was still here at 3:00 on Christmas morning when he had a son and daughter at home who were sure to give him no rest today. Vance's answer was quick and easy to understand; SecNav wanted damage control.

Ah, politics, how I loathe thee…I really need to stop spending so much time with McAuthor.

They left the office together; Vance to go home and Tony to sleep wherever there was a reasonably comfortable surface. Pausing to look down on the squad room, Vance took the opportunity to ask his question.

"Why did you turn down the offer to lead the SecNav's private taskforce?"

Tony gave the Director his version of Gibbs' "are you really asking that?" look. After realizing the director expected a verbal reply, Tony looked down at the bullpen again and heard the last chorus of the carol playing on McGee's computer. With a smile that had far more affection than his normal smirk, Tony gave a simple reply.

"Because then I'd never be home for Christmas."

That seemed to satisfy Vance. He nodded and continued on his way home to his wife and children. Tony walked into the bullpen and studied his teammates. Ziva was still sleeping soundly but McGee had started mumbling something about Abby and sugarplums in his sleep, something Tony would tease him mercilessly with later. The level of exhaustion in his teammates was even more apparent when Bert farted and neither one flinched. He would later blame his own exhaustion as he put his travel bag on his desk and pulled out the small pillow he usually used on the plane. Bending down, he gently replaced Bert with the pillow. Knowing that being allowed to use Bert was a sweet gesture from Abby always made the recipient feel a bit better but he was a terrible pillow. Tony reached into his bag again and pulled out McGee's gift from Seattle, sliding the new signed comic book underneath a stack of case files. Hey, he was being nice just giving him the comic in the first place, no need to do it without a little fun. Tony grabbed the sack of freshly roasted coffee beans out of his bag and put them on Gibbs' desk. If there were two things Seattle was never short on it was rain and coffee. Finally Tony turned to look at Ziva again. She had fallen asleep next to a half-finished evidence log. Maybe it was guilt for leaving them short-handed or just his own exhaustion making him too nice for his own good but Tony quietly took the form off her desk and carrying it over to his own. Once there, he pulled the out the Seahawks throw blanket he picked up in Seattle and walked over to place it over her slightly shivering shoulders. He would give her the small hardcover copy of The Little Prince he found in a Seattle bookshop later. Abby, Ducky, and Palmer would get their gifts when he saw them again. He had just finished tucking the blanket around his partner when a very quiet but gruff voice spoke up behind him.

"Don't tell me I'm about to lose my senior field agent so he can go live with the elves."

Tony turned to see Gibbs standing by his desk holding the coffee beans with a mix of wry amusement, fatherly affection, and gratitude in his expression. Tony answering expression was mainly sheepish embarrassment, wondering how long he'd been watching.

"Ho, ho, ho, Boss."

Gibb's raised an eyebrow.

"Since about the time you replaced Bert with an actual pillow."

Well, that answers that.

"Probie was starting to drool. It wasn't fair to the hippo."

Gibbs rolled his eyes and sat down at his desk to do whatever it is he did at 3:00 in the morning. Tony walked back to his own desk and quickly finished the form. After replacing the file on Ziva's desk, he turned to go back to his own desk a hand reached out and grabbed his wrist. Apparently, she had slept long enough for the ninja spidey senses to kick back in.

"Tony?"

"It's me, Zi."

He tried to pull away but her grip tightened almost painfully on his wrist.

"Go back to sleep, Ziva. I'll be here when you wake up."

Surprisingly enough, she did and Tony was able to gently pry her fingers from his wrist. As he went to lay down behind his desk he caught a glimpse of Gibbs. Resigned acceptance colored the older man's face but he message was firm when he motioned for Tony to come over to his desk. He handed Tony a small piece of paper. The message was short and clear.

Break her heart and I won't patch you up after she kicks your sorry rear.

Tony looked at the note, then Gibbs, and felt himself start grinning like a fool. Gibbs' expression was one of exasperated amusement when he motioned for Tony to lean in. The head-slap that followed was only slightly painful and more a sign of affection than anything else.

"Thanks, Boss."

Gibbs just rolled his eyes again and motioned for Tony to go lay down. Lying down in the empty area behind his desk, he took his jacket and used it as blanket. He took one last look around the bullpen at his teammates and began to drift off to sleep. There was only one thought running through his head before he finally nodded off.

It's good to be home.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!