Chapter 22: No Peeking - 2023

"Anthony DiNozzo!" Ziva spoke sharply startling her big child who was checking packages under the Christmas tree. He had one in his hand and had been gently shaking it when she walked into the family room.

Tony turned around quickly, a sheepish grin on his face. He tried the puppy eyes, knowing that usually got him out of some of the trouble, "I… um… was… just… um…" He shrugged and carefully replaced the brightly wrapped gift with his name on the tag under the tree.

"How many times have I told you there is no peeking?" she scolded him as if he were one of their children. "You," she poked him in the chest, "have to be an example for our children. If you peek, they will try to peek as well. Now, behave yourself, or I may have to take some of your gifts back."

"Aw, Zi."

She wagged a finger at him, "Just leave the gifts alone. That is all I am asking; it is not that hard to do, yes?'

Tony smirked and grabbed her hand, pulling her to him, "Yes, Ima. Mistletoe." He pointed above them. Before she could reply, he planted his lips on hers.

When the couple broke for air, Ziva patted her husband's cheek, "Do not try to distract me to get out of trouble." He grinned at her and kissed her again.

"Ima, I'm hungry!" Anthony ran into the family room from the playroom, followed by Rivka and Beth. Tali and LJ were not far behind. "Eww, they're kissing."

The parents pulled apart as LJ ran over to them. The toddler grinned at his Abba and pointed to the ceiling, "Mis-toe. Kiss Ima!" He then tugged at his mother's hand, "Me hungee, Ima. Me eat?" He rubbed his belly to emphasize the point.

"We will all get a snack," Ziva walked towards the kitchen with the five children following her; Tony followed the kids. "I think soft pretzels and milk would be a good snack, yes?"

"Yay!" the kids all agreed with their Ima's choice for snack.

While Ziva was heating the pretzels in the convection oven, Tony snuck back into the family room. He really wanted to know what was in the box from Ziva. The shape and size did not fit for any of the things he had on his wish list that year. He took his small knife from his pocket and slid the small blade under the tape on one side. He had about half of the strip of tape lifted from the wrapping paper when Tali startled him.

"What are you doing, Abba?" Tali appeared by his side. Her ninja stealth skills were almost as good as her mother's.

He nearly dropped the knife and present, "Um… nothing…" He tried to hide the box behind his back and fold the knife with his other hand. Maybe she really hadn't seen what he was doing.

Tali scowled at her Abba, "Well, Ima says no peeking, or she takes the presents back. You were trying to peek." Tony bit the inside of his lip to keep from laughing out loud; the girl looked so much like her mother scolding him.

Rivka ran into the room from the kitchen, "Snack is ready. Ima says to come now!" She stopped when she saw her Abba with the gift in his hand. "Abba, you aren't supposed to peek!" the little girl put her hands on her hips and scowled at her naughty Abba. "Ima will take away your presents if you do."

Tony gave his girls a sheepish grin and slid the package back under the tree with the partially untaped side away from their view. "You caught me; now let's go get our snack and not tell Ima, okay?"

The family sat down at the dining room table to the soft pretzels and milk snack. Ziva also put out small bowls of melted cheddar cheese, cinnamon sugar, melted caramel, spicy brown and yellow mustards, and melted chocolate for dipping the pretzels if each one chose to do so. Anthony preferred the melted cheddar while Tali's dip of choice was the melted caramel. Tony usually chose the yellow mustard and Ziva had the spicy mustard. Beth liked to dip her pretzel in the melted chocolate and Rivka preferred the cinnamon sugar for dipping. Only LJ had no preference; he often ate his pretzel plain or sampled each of the other family member's dip of choice.

After the snack, the twins and Tali followed Ziva to the kitchen to make more dough for the soft pretzels. She made enough for forty-nine shaped pretzels each time she baked them. They were then frozen in bags of seven for the family to have as a snack. When Ziva retrieved the bag for the latest snack she'd noticed only one bag remaining in the freezer; time to make more.

LJ followed his father to the family room. Tony noticed the toddler behind him and had an idea.

"Hey, LJ, want to help me with something important?"

"Yep, me help!"

Tony pointed to the gift from Ziva, "See that box with the red bow and the shiny red and silver paper?" When LJ nodded, he continued, "Go pick it up for me and bring it here, please." LJ grabbed the box and carried it to his Abba. He was just about to place it in his father's hand when Anthony appeared.

"Hey, Ima says we can't peek at our gifts!" he yelled to the other two. "If she sees you, she will take away your presents."

Ziva heard her older son and peered around the corner of the wall from the kitchen. "Who is peeking?" she inquired, looking at Anthony.

"Abba!" the boy pointed to his father and little brother. "He got LJ to help him…"

LJ dropped the box in his Abba's hands and quickly ran to his Ima. "Me no bad; Abba bad."

"Busted," Tali grinned from behind her mother; she and the twins were watching the scene unfold as Ima strode over to their father.

Ziva grabbed the gift from her husband, "I guess this one will go back to the store; no gifts for the naughty boy." She carried the box to her office and then returned.

"Let that be a lesson to you children, your Abba lost a gift because he tried to peek to see what is in the box," she explained to the five children who were now in the kitchen. Tony sat at the counter and hung his head. "What is the rule?"

"No peeking!" all five looked at their Abba. "Ever!"

(Tony did get his gift on Christmas night; a new smartwatch from Ziva.)