December 2009 (3 months after SMH is over, Chaya = 8 months)

On Christmas Eve the team caught a case. Plans were changed, adjustments were made, and their planned family dinner became a race to catch a killer. At 12:01 Christmas morning, Ziva was waiting in the lab for Abby to come back and translate the blips and beeps on her machines into information they could use to solve a murder.

Suddenly she felt a presence behind her and a low voice whispered in her ear, "Mrs. DiNozzo, may I have this dance?"

Ziva turned around with a smile to meet her husband's kiss. Tony pressed play on his iPod and through the headphones soft strains of music spilled out. Stepping into his arms with a grace that came from long habit, Ziva let him take her hand and she followed his lead as Tony swayed gently to the tune and slowly danced her around the room.

They came to a stop in the doorway of the lab and he looked up. A piece of mistletoe hung from the frame and his lips curved upwards. "It's tradition Zi, do you know what it means?"

Her smile matched his as she lifted her face. "It means you get to kiss me."

Tony's grin broadened and he leaned down just a bit. Taking her face in his hands, Tony touched her lips with his gently at first, and then more insistently as passion flowed between them. Ziva was no passive party in the moment. Her hands snaked up her husband's neck, her fingers playing with the short hairs above his collar. She pressed her lips firmly against his mouth, never able to get enough of how he made her feel.

A throat cleared in the corridor and the couple sprang apart. Abby and McGee stood there, a sleeping three month old Haven cradled against her mother's chest. "We're not interrupting anything, are we?" Tim asked with a grin.

Ignoring the company, Tony kissed his wife again, a promise for more when the case was done. Then he turned back to their friends. "Chaya's already asleep in the playpen. Gonna have Haven join her?" The eight month old wasn't much of a threat since she couldn't roll over the tightly coiled blanket that separated the girls when they had to pull overnighters at work.

Abby nodded. "I just nursed her, she should sleep for most of the night now." She stared at all of them. "But no one goes into the Ballistics Lab after I put her down unless you dads want to be in charge of two grumpy babies."

Tim and Tony both promised and Abby finally got around to detailing just what it was that her machines had found. With a report in hand to take to Gibbs, Ziva and the guys headed upstairs. Several hours later, when Gibbs had dragged a very uncooperative suspect into custody and let him stew in Interrogation Two for a few hours as payback for ruining everyone's Christmas plans, Tony was again on the hunt for his missing wife.

He found her just where he expected, sitting beside the playpen and watching their daughter sleep. Lowering himself to the floor beside her, Tony put his arm around her shoulders. "Zi, you need to get some rest. She'll be up in a couple hours."

Ziva leaned back against him and sighed. "This is not how I pictured our first Christmas together."

He lightly traced the Star of David that she hadn't taken off since he'd put it there last year. "But at least we're together."

She smiled faintly. "When Chaya is older, can we still do Hanukkah and Christmas, so she knows them both?"

Tony kissed the skin behind her ear. "Definitely. I want Chaya to know the heritage she comes from, both Israeli and American."

Ziva sighed softly. "I think I am too tired to celebrate today, maybe later tonight?"

Since their typical 'celebration' basically meant intimate moments spent in the privacy of their bedroom, Tony understood completely. "Just having you and Chaya is enough of a Christmas present for me."

She raised an eyebrow and looked back at him. "There is nothing else you want?"

His grin gave him away and Tony dangled a piece of mistletoe stealthily removed from one of the other floors that would not miss it. "I'll take a kiss."

Ziva laughed but obliged, closing her eyes as their lips met. "Happy Christmas Tony," she whispered, "I love you."

"Merry Christmas sweetheart," Tony murmured. "Thank you for making my dreams come true."

When Abby and McGee found them an hour later, the couple lay curled up on an extra blanket, tangled together for warmth and comfort. It was such a sweet picture that Abby couldn't resist snapping a photo of them. Then she and Tim collected the babies who were just starting to stir, and left their friends alone to get some sleep on Christmas morning. Suddenly being together at work didn't seem like such a bad way to start the holiday. They were still family no matter where they were, and on this special day that was the most important thing.

Replies:

abbyandgibbs14 (Ch 11) - Yes, the second part of the 10th anniversary trip shows up in SS #19. Yeah, T&Z are kind of cute, right? He'll do whatever Ziva needs. Aww...that's so sweet to hear. Thanks for reviewing!

Sarah (Ch 11) - Oh, I am sure if Ziva's head was hurting so bad she's be plenty ticked at some suspect getting the drop on her. lol...yeah, Z doesn't not like medication but Tony's pretty good at talking her into stuff. Aww...glad you liked protective Tony :) Thanks for the Hebrew info, man I am sooo Canadian. Just one language, I think I'm hopeless for anything else :P Thanks for reviewing!