I did want to upload the chapter set on Christmas actually on Christmas, but it is chapter 24 and we are on 11 already, so I shall have to rethink the Christmas present for you all. I do have another idea that might work.

XI. Never Mind Storms and Snows for the Sake of a Friend.

"Ziva, I haven't seen you recently." Jenny smiled as she walked into the bathroom.

"I have been working hard." The Mossad officer smiled, drying her hands.

"If I didn't know you better, I would say you were avoiding me." Jenny narrowed her eyes and leaning against the main door, blocking Ziva's exit.

"I can assure you that it has not been intentional." Ziva nodded. She felt her chest tighten slightly as the director raised her eyebrows.

"The case you have been working, with the two young girls, Gibbs said you seemed to form a connection with them?"

"Yes, you might say that." Ziva frowned, leaning against the counter with the basins in.

"You haven't worked with children much, have you Ziva? This is new territory for you." The redhead smiled. "Have you ever thought of settling down, having children of your own?"

"When I was young, before I realised the reality of the world, I dreamed of marrying and having children. How about you?" She bluffed and made her expression match that of her boss's boss.

"My naïve mind did think about it once or twice, but it would never have worked. I'm married to my work." She laughed. "Have you spoken to your father recently, Ziva?" She changed the subject quickly before Ziva could formulate a reply to her earlier comment.

"Not in a couple of months. I believe he still disapproves of my being here."

"You are an asset to this agency, officer David." Jenny smiled, walking away from the door and clearing Ziva's path. "Keep up the good work."


"Why do you light those candles?" Elsie asked as Ziva lit the second candle.

"Because I celebrate Hanukah, not Christmas." She smiled.

"You don't have Christmas?" She looked up at her, frowning.

"No, but I have my own traditions." Ziva picked the child up.

"So you don't get to decorate the tree?"

"No." She chuckled.

"But that's the best part."

"I agree." Gibbs said from behind them.

"What does your tree look like?" Elsie asked as Ziva carried her into the living room.

"Gibbs always decorates the tree at work." Tony said, frowning when the two adults turned to look at him. "What? I thought everyone knew."

"I did not know." Ziva looked between her boss and Tony.

"Well who did you think decorates it? The elves?" The Italian laughed.

"It was just always decorated." She frowned. "You are very good at decorating." She turned to Gibbs.

"Used to be a Christmas tradition, decorating the tree at home." He sighed, shaking his head.


"Gibbs, that whole secrecy thing…" Ziva started as she stirred the tomato sauce she was cooking.

"Who did Abby tell now?" He sighed. He had warned Abby to keep her mouth shut, to stop herself from just blurting out things without thinking.

"Nobody. That I am aware of," She paused. "The only people who should know are you, Tony, Ducky and Abby. McGee does not even know. Anyway, the director came and spoke to me today. It was weird, like she was angel-ing."

"Angling." Gibbs laughed quietly, "An angel is something with a halo and wings, angling is what you do to catch fish. We generally call it fishing."

"Well, what ever she was doing, it was like she already knew." Ziva shook her head.

"Why was it that you went to Ducky in the first place?" He tested a piece of pasta and turned the stove off.

"Because I thought I might be pregnant." She said. "You know that."

"What I meant, was that you noticed changes in your body. I reckon Jenny probably noticed that as well." He shrugged as he drained the pasta and poured it into a bowl, placing it in the centre of the table.

"She is very observant, I know." Ziva smiled, remembering moments from Cairo. She sat the bowl of sauce next to that of the lumache pasta.

"Hey, dinner's ready." Gibbs said, scooping up Elsie as she ran past, running away from DiNozzo as he chased her around the table. She laughed in his arms, even more when he started flying her about like a rocket ship.

"You were supposed to be keeping her quiet. Mina is sleeping." Ziva placed her hand on his chest, stopping him from moving to sit at the table.

"Right now it's Gibbs making her laugh." Tony pointed out meekly, smiling slightly. She sighed.

"Gibbs, the pasta is getting cold." She stood in front of him, a stern look on her face and a smirk on his. He carried the elder child over to the table and placed her in the chair between to his and DiNozzo's.

"I love Italian!" Tony grinned, placing spoonfulls of pasta on his plate. There was silence around him as he felt everybody's stares on him. "Ladies first, huh?" He grinned, placing pasta onto Elsie's plate and passing the bowl over to Ziva.

"Thank you, Tony." She smiled as he drizzled tomato sauce over his and Elsie's plates.

"Well, this looks delicious." Gibbs smiled.

"Gibbs, you cooked it!" The little girl burst out laughing. "You can't say that your own food looks good."

"She has a point, boss." Tony shook his head in disappointment.

"You happy working at NCIS Tony? Fornell made a comment about agent Sacks needing a new partner over at the FBI." Gibbs looked at him.

"You wouldn't!" DiNozzo laughed and shook his head. "You would." His face fell.

"Nah, you're to special DiNozzo. Where else am I going to find someone who can flirt his way into almost anywhere if the obstruction is naïve enough?"

"Yeah, thanks boss. You have summed my character up perfectly." Tony muttered sarcastically.

"I am sure Ziva won't tolerate that anymore, will you?" Gibbs grinned.

"Oh, I do not know, Gibbs. It is very entertaining watching Tony work his magic." She wiggled her fingers, "Although I do not think I am too comfortable with it."

"Well, in that case I'll just have to find someone to replace him." He shrugged to Ziva, who grinned, sticking her tongue out when Tony scowled at her.

"This is abuse." He said, eating his pasta to hide his smile.

"You would feel unappreciated without it," Ziva shrugged, covering his hand with her own, "Mon petit pois."

"How is calling me 'your little pea' a term of endearment?" He asked as he turned Elsie's plate around so she could reach the pasta on the other side.

"It's French, DiNozzo." Gibbs said, between mouthfuls of food.

"Yeah, boss, I got that." He sighed.

"Well ask a French man then."

"All the French people I know hate me."

"Whose fault is that?" Ziva asked, finishing her meal.

"Well…I guess mostly mine." He frowned. "Would you like me to take your plate?" He asked her, not waiting for her answer as he stacked it on top of his own. "Gibbs?" He placed his boss's dish on the top of his pile and, picking up Elsie's as well, he took them to the kitchen, were he actually washed them up.

"You're having a good effect on him." Jethro whispered into Ziva's ear as he stood up and walked past her, nodding to Tony at the sink. "I have never seen him even use a dishwasher. I didn't think he knew what washing up liquid was."

"I am surprised you do, Gibbs!" she laughed.

"I've had four wives, Ziva. I got moaned at for neglecting the washing up more times than you can imagine."

"Fair enough." She laughed again, standing up. "Pyjama time?" She asked the child as she yawned and nodded. "Come on then." She picked her up and carried her through to the bedroom, smiling as Mina started wailing and she heard a game of rock paper scissors between her two colleagues.

"Hey, what's up, little one?" Tony leaned into the crib. He picked up the wailing infant, stroking her cheek and rocking her from side to side. He looked at the clock on the wall. "Hey, boss, did you say she'd had her bath yet?" He asked as Gibbs zipped his jacket up and slung his back over his shoulder.

"Yeah. She should be due a feed in quarter of an hour." He smiled, looking out the window and groaning.

"What's wrong?" Ziva asked, walking through with Elsie in mint green pyjamas.

"It's started snowing." He rubbed his forehead. "You two are stocked up with food in here, aren't you?"

"Yes, I brought more on my way over here." Ziva nodded.

"The road leading up here is pretty tight, not great for poor weather conditions. Whose idea was it to put a safe house this far away from civilisation anyway." Tony scoffed.

"Mine, DiNozzo!" Gibbs snapped, dreading his drive back and dreading Tony and Ziva's reactions in the morning when McGee didn't turn up for his shift.

"It was a great plan, accept for when it snows, boss." He recanted. Gibbs shook his head and crouched down to Elsie's height.

"Take care of them for me." He said, smiling when she saluted.

"On it, boss." She replicated Tony's words immaculately.

"Good. Sleep well." He smiled and stood up, looking at Ziva and Tony to convey the same message with fewer words. They both nodded and he walked out of the door into the flurry of white flakes that were falling at an increasingly rapid rate.