"We are not getting that one, Abby."

"But it's all broken and sad looking."

"Exactly."

Tony and Abby were currently having a standoff over a tree of all things. A Christmas one, to be exact, because that distinction was important. It was apparently slightly more acceptable to argue over a fir tree than any other type.

Ziva had not been aware that there was a specific place where people got Christmas trees. Though, to be honest, she hadn't really thought about where you would get one at all. It was not like she needed one. Apparently, you could get real ones and fake ones. The fake ones being plastic and the real ones you had to come to this tree farm place and cut it down yourself. Which is where the whole team was today.

Jenny, the Director- she still hadn't got used to calling her friend that even after a year - had come to Gibbs and said that she was responsible for sorting out the office's big Christmas tree that usually went up in the far corner of their floor. Which apparently meant that all of the team had to be subject to this choosing of a tree. Well, Abby didn't have to come but she didn't want to miss out on the "fun". Ziva didn't understand what was so funny about looking at trees in the cold.

Well, apparently Abby thought it was all sorts of fun but that really wasn't saying much - the slightly older woman found no end of things fun. Even things Ziva would have never thought would be fun. Abby was now over at another tree which Tony, again, disagreed with.

"That's too skinny!"

"It needs to fit in the office!"

"But that's just pathetic."

Tuning out her friends' bickering, Ziva let her gaze wander around. Not that there was much to see except for rows and rows of trees but it was better than nothing. She tilted her chin down so more of her coat covered it and her scarf rose further up her face. Ziva was pretty sure that she couldn't feel her cheeks anymore - the wind was that cold.

This was definitely not on the list of activities that Tony and McGee had given her for winter activities. Not that she was going to be left out when the whole team was doing this and they got an afternoon off work. Ziva David was many things but stupid was not one of them. So, she came with them to pick up this tree. She had been promised hot chocolate out of it, which she had already downed to ward off the cold. It did, sort of. It wasn't exactly good hot chocolate but it was better than the option on the coffee machine at the office, which was something.

Out of the corner of her eye she spotted something extraordinary. Enough to make her pause and blink to make sure she was seeing it right. Stopping short of giving herself a head slap, Ziva had to believe what she was seeing. Because she was definitely seeing this. No matter how odd and put of the ordinary it was.

Jenny and Gibbs were walking side by side, both appropriately dressed for the weather but looking nowhere near as uncomfortable as she felt. Then again, Ziva remembered that they had done several Ops in Russia so this weather was probably nothing to them.

Either way, they did look very cosy with one another. Ziva shook her head to rid herself of that particular thought. Abby and Tony's movies were starting to rub off on her, she was starting to see romance everywhere.

"Now, that one's too small! Pretty sure Ziva is taller than it!"

Now that brought her attention back to the picking of trees. Why was her height being used as a measurement? And why did it sound like Tony had just called her short? She glared at him but it was pointless as he was rather preoccupied with a frowning Abby.

"But it's cute!"

"You've called all of them cute so far!"

She still wasn't sure how a tree could be cute but she would take Abby's word on it.

"Giiiibbs!" Abby whined, turning to face their boss.

"DiNozzo's right, Abs. Need a bigger one."

It was not often Abby was told no by Gibbs and it showed in the less than graceful way she responded. Which was a huff and a kick at a bit of snow. She gave a final look to the lopsided tree before sighing and moving on. Thankfully. Ziva swore the cold was trying to literally eat into her bones. She really needed to invest in some thermal underwear or something though she doubted that even that would keep this horrible cold out.

How far away were they from the coffee stand? Ziva looked critically behind her and then shook her head. Too far now. They had been walking for quite a bit. She would probably freeze before getting more coffee. Or hot chocolate. A caffeine hit or a sugar hit would be good right about now.

"Why don't you get that one for your lab?" Jenny suggested.

"I already have a tree for my lab.

Ziva wasn't sure whether Abby's black, plastic, fir tree counted as a Christmas tree. And weren't skulls and bats Hallowe'en decorations?

"There's space for two," McGee interrupted.

Thankfully because Ziva saw Jenny's eye twitch which was a sure sign that she was losing her patience.

"Hmm," Abby contemplated and then brightened. "I suppose so!"

"So, what does constitute the perfect tree?" Ziva asked, falling into step with her partner.

"Well, Ziva," his chest swelled with importance. "It depends on the location, the area you have and your decor."

She sighed, what had she managed to start?

"But since it's for the office, we need to make sure it's appropriately towering but doesn't take up a lot of space width wise so people can still walk past it. But it still has to be bushy or else it just looks sad and-"

"Like that one?" Ziva interrupted, pointing her finger to a tree right ahead of them.

Tony followed and his mouth shut with an audible 'click'.

"Nice spot, Ziver," Gibbs complimented.