Chapter 14: A New Generation – 2037

"I seriously think we've officially gone overboard," Tony declared as he and Ziva piled the gifts for grandsons Levi and soon-to-be-born Anthony IV around the Christmas tree. There had to be at least thirty packages for Levi and about twenty for Anthony, all from Saba and Savta.

"That is a grandparent's prerogative, is it not?" Ziva smiled thinking about their five-month-old Levi and due-in-March Anthony. She was about to say something else when they heard a sound from the front entry foyer.

Tony put a finger to his lips as he and Ziva tiptoed to peek around the corner of the wall into the hallway to the front of the house. Seventeen-year-old Rivka (almost eighteen, if you asked her) was kissing John McGee by the front door.

"Come on," she took his hand and started to lead him to the hallway to her bedroom. She and John both looked up at the same time to see her parents standing there. "Um, hi Ima; hi, Abba. John's going to spend the night… in Anthony's old room."

John looked at his feet, "If that's okay Uncle Tony and Aunt Ziva? Katie's room shares a bathroom with mine and …"

Tony scowled as Ziva smiled at the two, "We had this talk last year; just respect the others in the house. Please."

"Thanks, Ima; thanks Abba," Riv hugged her mother and then her father. "Merry Christmas!"

"John, do your parents know you're here? I wouldn't want them freaking out when you aren't there in the morning," Tony put a hand on his twenty-year-old nephew's shoulder.

"Yeah, Dad was in his office wrapping a baby monitor system when I left," the young man replied. "Thanks, Uncle Tony."

The two young people headed down the hallway as the DiNozzo parents walked back to the family room. One nice thing about having nearly grown children was that they weren't up at a late hour putting gifts around the Christmas tree; it was only 2230 currently.

"You KNOW he's going to be in her bed, right, Zi?"

"I thought we talked this out last Thanksgiving, yes?"

Tony sighed, "Yeah, we did; still not overly happy about that, but I guess I'll live… At least she's in Tali's old room and a bit away from the other two."

Ziva stopped under the mistletoe that was hung over the entrance to the kitchen from the hallway, "Come here and let me distract you," she purred.

He grinned at her and gave her the once-over elevator eyes, "Sweetcheeks, you don't need mistletoe to distract me…" He wrapped his arms around her and fused his lips to hers. When they broke for air, he asked, "Are all the gifts under the tree?"

"Mm-hmm," she murmured into the next kiss. "Shall we take this party elsewhere?"

On Christmas morning, Ziva got up about 0700 to prepare the pans of lasagna for dinner that afternoon. With two ovens, she would able to bake all three at the same time. Once the pans were ready, she wrapped them with foil and placed them in the refrigerator until time for baking. As she took out the ingredients to make a farmers' omelet for breakfast, LJ and Tony appeared in the kitchen.

Ziva handed Tony a cutting board and knife and he chopped the tomatoes, onions, baby spinach leaves, and the potatoes that Ziva had cooked the night before. She handed LJ the packages of turkey bacon and turkey sausage; the sixteen-year-old grabbed a pan and began cooking the meats on the stove. Ziva grated the cheddar cheese into a pile and then began cracking eggs into a large bowl for whisking. She added salt and pepper to the eggs and a bit of cream and beat the mixture until it was frothy.

LJ and Tony alternated layers of meat and vegetables in the two cast iron skillets. Ziva divided the egg mixture between the two and slid the skillets into the oven that she'd already preheated. John and Rivka came into the kitchen as the other three were cleaning up the preparation tools.

"Merry Christmas; there's coffee brewed, and orange juice in the fridge," Tony greeted the two. "Guess your sister is the late sleeper today."

"She worked a double shift yesterday and the day before, Abba. Let her sleep," LJ explained. "I think she put together over a dozen bikes between 1800 and closing yesterday."

"Nineteen," Beth yawned as she came into the kitchen. "Coffee…" She grabbed a mug off the mug tree and poured herself some. "Charles was a god-send when he came to help around 1830." Ziva noticed the sparkle in her youngest daughter's eyes when she mentioned her boyfriend.

"Ima, can I make biscuits to have with the farmers' omelet?" Rivka volunteered. Ziva nodded and Riv and John started mixing biscuit dough and prepping a baking sheet.

"Oh, by the way, Ima, Aunt Breena said that she'd heat the roast beef and gravy at her house before they come over. She sliced the meat last night after their party," Beth added.

John turned, "Mom had six loaves of bread and two huge salads made last night. I think she said they'd be over around 1130; Anthony and Katie are going to pick up Grandpa on the way over. Is Grandpa making his apple pies again this year?"

Ziva nodded, "Yes to the apple pies. Tali and Chaim will be here around that same time; she said Levi is usually awake from his morning nap around 1100." She checked the timer on the oven, "Beth, would you set the table for breakfast, please?"

"Got it, Ima," she grabbed forks and knives from the drawer. "Kitchen or dining room?"

"Abba and I will sit at the counter and the four of you can use the breakfast nook table," Ziva responded. "Abba and LJ put the leaves in the dining room table yesterday. Just six at a table ready for sixteen would be overkill."

Tony poured juice for everyone and refilled coffee mugs; Ziva pulled the two pans of farmers' omelet from the oven just as Riv's timer for the biscuits buzzed. LJ got six plates from the cabinet and put the stack on the counter.

"Serve yourself," Ziva motioned for John to go first. LJ and the twins followed him and the four young people sat at the table. Tony served his plate and handed the last plate to his wife.

"I know why you put us at the counter," he whispered in her ear. "Mistletoe!" He grinned at her as she winked at him and pointed to the sprig hanging over the barstools at the counter. "Did you forget that LJ put one over the table?" he pointed above Riv's head.

John looked where Uncle Tony was pointing; he spotted the mistletoe and brushed his lips on Riv's with a grin. "Mistletoe," he pointed up.

Not to be outdone, as soon as Ziva sat at the counter, Tony pulled her into a kiss, lingering a bit longer than John had. "Mistletoe," he whispered.

By 1230 everyone was at the DiNozzo house; shortly after Tali and Chaim arrived with a half-asleep Levi, LJ put on his Abba's Santa hat and beard and started handing out gifts. Levi's stack of opened gifts grew as his parents opened all thirty one gifts from Tony and Ziva, the gifts from aunts and uncles, and the wooden rocker seat that converted to a rocking horse from Great-grandpa Gibbs and Uncle LJ.

Katie and Anthony had an impressive stack of baby items as well. Most of the gifts were opened and each family member was thanking others when Ziva noticed Charles fidgeting next to Beth. She nudged Tony.

"Watch Charles," she whispered. "I think we are going to see a big moment." Tony looked at the young couple and nodded to his wife in agreement.

There was a lull in the conversation, and Charles decided it was now or never. He took Beth's hand in his. "Beth, I've known for a while now that you and I are meant to be together." He pulled something out of his pocket, "I promise that I will love you for the rest of my days." He slid the promise ring on her finger as she wiped away tears with her other hand.

"Yes, I will promise to be true to you," she pulled him into a kiss to the cheers of the rest of the family.

Gibbs lifted his coffee mug and rapped his knuckles on the end table next to the recliner, "A toast to family, to my grandkids who are becoming fine adults, and to the next generation. Merry Christmas."

"Hear, hear."

"L'chaim."

Levi let out a loud wail as he stirred in his rocker carrier, bringing a chuckle from the others. Tali took the baby into her arms and headed to her Ima's office to change his diaper and nurse him.

"Hey, he IS half DiNozzo, you know," Tim quipped to more laughter.

Tony smirked at his brother of the heart, "And so is YOUR grandson to be! Merry Christmas, everyone." He turned to Ziva, pulling her to him, "Merry Christmas, Zi. Ani ohev otach. Mistletoe!" He pointed upward and locked his lips on hers.

"Merry Christmas, Tony. Ani ohevet otcha," she returned the kiss, caressing his face with her hand as she fused her lips to his.

A/N For more on Rivka and John in this time frame, see Rivka's chapter in 'Teens in the House'