A/N: THANKS so much to everyone who's reviewed, favorited, alerted and read this story - I'm so happy you're loving it as much as I do. =) I'll be responding individually, as well, but holiday plans are decreasing my computer time at the moment.

For those of you following "Brewed Awakenings," there will be an update soon. Happy New Year and happy reading!


Year Two …

The day before Christmas Eve, Ziva took her time getting ready to leave, waiting for the bullpen to be empty. Then, without looking over at her boss where he sat at his desk, she asked a question, her tone intentionally nonchalant.

"Are you working tomorrow?"

"Yep," he answered in his usual minimalist style. "And a double the day after that."

She smiled while still staring at her computer, but didn't say anything else.

They walked to the parking garage together a short time after.

"See you tomorrow, David," he offered as she turned toward her car, letting her know that he was aware she'd be working at the same time, too.

Her smile was bright. "Yes, see you tomorrow."

Like last year, they were scheduled for the second shift on Christmas Eve, so Ziva spent the time earlier in the day making a large pot of matzo ball soup, biscuits and a pumpkin pie. She also pulled out an interesting chisel that she'd found about a month ago. She'd been exploring a nearby town one weekend on her own and had wandered into an old-style hardware store. The tool had made her think of Gibbs and she had impulsively bought it. This seemed like a good time to give it to him.

The chisel had come in a plain cloth bag that tied near the top. Ziva attached a card that had "Merry Christmas" pre-printed on it, but she did not sign it. Her plan was to hide it in his desk for him to find. She tucked the package into her backpack, loaded up the food and headed into work.

Gibbs was already at his desk when she arrived loaded down. He immediately got up and went to her, taking the basket that he was secretly hoping held their supper like last year.

Tony and Tim had covered first shift and were off the next couple of days. They were just getting ready to leave. Tony's eyes lit up when he spotted the food basket.

"Ho-ho-ho," he chanted. "Did Santa Ziva bring us all dinner?" He was clearly delighted at the prospect.

"No, Tony," she responded, ignoring his disappointment. She knew he had plans to attend a holiday party with his latest girlfriend, anyway. "This is for those of us working until 11 p.m. tonight – and a double tomorrow."

"This go in the fridge?" Gibbs asked, looking at Ziva. She nodded with a small smile, then retrieved the biscuits to keep at her desk. Before she let him go, she dashed off a KEEP OUT note and attached it, same as last year. Gibbs smirked, then headed toward the break room.

Tony's eyes darted between Gibbs' back and Ziva.

"Feeding the Bossman, eh, Zee-vah?" he probed.

"I am feeding us both, Tony," Ziva amended his observation in a firm tone that didn't invite further questioning. Then her lips curved in a smile for her friends. "Now go enjoy your holiday plans. You, too, McGee."

She was alone in the bullpen now, but she left the chisel in her bag. She didn't want Gibbs to find it until tomorrow, so she would bide her time on that.

The night was again pretty quiet. About half-way through their shift, they ate dinner in the break room where Ziva warmed the soup in the microwave. She flushed with pleasure as Gibbs' eyes lit up when he spotted the pumpkin pie. When they were through eating, they packed away the leftovers to have for lunch tomorrow.

After their shift ended, they parted company in the parking garage. Gibbs walked her to her car, then headed toward his truck as she called out that she'd see him tomorrow. He acknowledged that with a wave and a small smile tossed back over his shoulder.

They pulled out of the parking structure, Gibbs following her. He stayed behind her until it was time for him to turn off toward his house, which he did with a flash of his lights. She honked the horn of her Mini Cooper in response. She drove a little further to make sure she was out of his sights and then she doubled back to NCIS. After parking, she pulled the chisel from her backpack and tucked it into her pocket. She quickly made her way up to the bullpen, murmuring to the guard downstairs that she'd forgotten something. With a smile, he waved her on through.

Ziva went directly to her boss' desk and opened the drawer in which he habitually kept his badge and gun. Removing the chisel from her coat, she placed it in the drawer far enough back that it wouldn't be immediately obvious, but not so far back that he wouldn't find it. Pleased with her handiwork, she headed home.

When she arrived at NCIS the next morning, Gibbs was just walking behind his desk.

"Good morning, Gibbs," Ziva said, putting her backpack behind her desk. "Merry Christmas."

"Happy Hanukkah," he returned with a ghost of that half-smile of his. Then he asked, "It's still Hanukkah, right?"

She smiled, rather touched that he knew that. "It is this year, until the 28th. Very observant of you."

"Didn't think it usually went after Christmas, but honestly haven't paid much attention," he admitted somewhat sheepishly as he shrugged out of his coat and tossed it onto the extra desk beside his. He'd never had a real reason to keep track of the Jewish holidays – until Ziva.

"You are right – Hanukkah is normally over before or near Christmas, but the dates change every year and occasionally it is not over until after Christmas. This is one of those years," she explained.

She'd finished unwrapping herself from her winter outerwear and stowed her badge and gun away in her drawer. She sat down to turn on her computer, watching Gibbs out of the corner of her eye. She was practically buzzing with excitement on the inside, waiting for him to find his gift, but outwardly she was as calm, cool and collected as ever.

Gibbs dropped his things in his top right-hand drawer with little thought and closed it immediately. Before they knew it, it was time to take a break from paperwork and have their leftovers from yesterday for lunch. They spent the afternoon doing what research they could on some cold cases, hoping a new lead would pop.

At dinner time, Gibbs looked over at Ziva where she was working quietly at her desk. Feeling his eyes on her, she glanced his way.

"Chinese?" he asked with an eyebrow cocked.

She smiled immediately.

"That sounds good," she answered. "Can we walk again?" He nodded with his characteristic smile.

She sent an e-mail to dispatch so they could be tracked down if needed, put on her gun and badge, and began bundling back up against the cold weather outside.

Gibbs reached into his drawer for his own shield and weapon. Something unexpected caught his eye just as he was about to slam the drawer shut again.

He reached in once more, further back, and pulled out a simple cloth bag with a brightly-colored tag that read "Merry Christmas." He turned it over in his hands, looking at it thoughtfully.

"What is that?" Ziva asked curiously, nothing in her voice giving anything away.

He shrugged.

"Perhaps you have been very good this year and Santa paid you a visit," she teased with a twinkle in her brown eyes.

He snorted, but tugged open the string holding the small sack closed and dumped the contents into his hand. He closed his fingers around it and tested the weight of it in his hand.

"Nice chisel," he commented. "Really nice chisel."

He looked up at her. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about this?" he asked, catching her gaze.

"About chisels? I am afraid not," she informed him regretfully, pretending to be ignorant of his real question. "Now if it were a knife or a gun, I know a lot about those." Her eyes gleamed with humor.

He smirked, but didn't press her further. He put the tool back in its bag and tucked it into his inside jacket pocket, unconsciously placing it close to his heart.

They had dinner at the same restaurant and Mei welcomed them warmly. Dinner passed easily, comfortably. Though neither of them were the type to reflect on it too much, they had become friends in the past year, as well as coworkers.

On the walk back to NCIS Ziva commented, "It is certainly cold this year, but I wish it would snow like it did last year." Her eyes looked up at the dark sky with disappointment.

"Too cold to snow," Gibbs offered.

She looked at him in confusion. "That does not really make sense."

He shrugged. "That's what people say." Then he looked at her with a twinkle in his blue eyes. "McGee could probably explain it to us."

She laughed lightly. "True."

They continued back to work in companionable silence and finished out their shift much the same way. As they parted company in the parking garage that night, Gibbs called out, "Same time next year, David?"

Her lips curved.

"It is a date," she agreed. Then she blushed, realizing her words could be taken another way. She stammered, "I mean –"

"Know what you meant," he interrupted her with a gleam in his eyes and his characteristic grin.

A tradition had been born.

Three days later, Ziva reached into her top right-hand drawer to retrieve her weapon and badge in preparation for heading home at the end of her shift. Tim and Tony were already at the elevator and were holding it for her; Gibbs was still at his desk.

A small package wrapped rather awkwardly in plain brown paper was resting over her things. She paused, her brow furrowed. She was sure it hadn't been there earlier. She gently touched it … it felt hard, maybe with some kind of design.

"Come on, Zee-vah," Tony called impatiently.

"Go ahead," Ziva responded. "I will be another minute."

After the elevator doors closed, Ziva dropped back down in her chair and removed the package. Gibbs eyed her surreptitiously.

The Israeli gently tugged the paper loose from the tape holding it and then stared at the contents, more than a little stunned. Inside was a wooden snowflake larger than the palm of her hand with a thin plastic twine – like fishing line, she guessed - tied through the top so it could be hung up. The wood was an attractive pale, rippled color with a satin-like sheen and the carving of the snowflake was beautiful. She cradled the object gently in one hand.

Ziva slowly looked at her boss, too moved to speak at first. Feeling her eyes on him, he glanced up at her.

"Gibbs?" she whispered.

He looked at the snowflake.

"Silver birch," he commented. "Nice wood. Carving's not bad either; would take the right equipment, though - including a really good chisel."

She looked back down at the gift.

"It is beautiful," she husked, gently tracing over it with her fingertips.

His only response was a smile.

She carefully re-wrapped the snowflake and placed it in her bag. Gathering the rest of her things, she stood to leave. After she'd taken one step around her desk, she paused.

Turning, she walked around Gibbs' desk and stopped by his side. Bending, she placed a very, very soft kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you," she murmured, her eyes bright with emotion.

He neither confirmed nor denied that he'd made it, but the ghost of his characteristic smile made her feel all warm inside.

And the tradition had been expanded.

TBC