Chapter 16, A DiNozzo Disaster: Christmas 2025

A/N Part 2 of the Christmas to remember!

Monday morning the snowfall finally stopped. A total of twenty-eight inches of snow set a new record for the DC area. In places, it was drifted to almost six feet deep. Tony went outside to clear the driveway and walkways with the snow blower. The kids took shovels and made hills out of the snow that he moved. The largest hill was almost ten feet high, so they had to build steps into the snow. Tony helped them build a series of smaller hills so that they had their own "snow run." He got the sleds and discs out of the shed and the kids took turns sliding on the hills. Anthony was extra careful with his arm, but he still had fun.

Beth and Rivka persuaded Tony to join them on the hill. He grabbed a disc and the three of them raced off the big hill. Ziva had just come outside to watch. Tony spun around and started sliding backwards on the disc. He hit the second hill and went airborne. Beth and Rivka saw him coming at them, but did not have enough time to react. Tony landed on the edge of the disc under his butt and flipped over backwards, landing on Beth's arm and Rivka's leg. His left ankle twisted at an odd angle and he felt something snap. Ziva was running before the three stopped moving.

She got to the girls first, who were both crying. "Ima, my leg hurts," Rivka cried. "My arm hurts a lot, Ima," Beth sobbed. Tali got to Tony and looked at him lying crumpled in the snow. "Abba?"

Tony moaned; his ankle was throbbing already and his head was starting to hurt. Ziva told Tali to call 911, and then call Grandpa Gibbs. Tali took her mother's cell phone and dialed. She explained what had happened, and that there were three injured people, and told the dispatcher their address and that the family was all in the back yard. She then called Gibbs.

"Grandpa? Abba and Rivka and Beth had a spill on the hills we made from snow. I called 911 and the ambulance is on its way. Abba is moaning and says his head hurts. Rivka and Beth are crying and Ima is worried. " Tali was almost in tears herself.

"Okay, Tals. I am on my way. If the ambulance gets there first, tell your Ima to go with them and I will come get them when they are discharged."

Tali sent Anthony out to the front yard to direct the first responders to the backyard. The ambulance took Tony, Rivka and Beth, and Ziva followed in the family vehicle. They had put Tony in a neck brace and then on a backboard just in case he had neck or back injuries. LJ clung to Tali, eyes wide.

Gibbs arrived just as the ambulance and Ziva were leaving. He hugged Tali, and told her she had been brave and smart to help her Abba and sisters get help. He went to hug Anthony and the boy showed Gibbs his cast. LJ flung himself into Gibbs' arms. "Are they going to be okay, Grandpa?" Gibbs nodded and led the children into the house. He helped Anthony get out of his coat, and asked them what happened. They told the whole story in detail, with LJ adding, "Abba flew through the air, Grandpa. He crash landed."

~TIVA~

Six hours later, Ziva brought her bedraggled family home. Rivka had a broken foot, Beth a fractured wrist, and Tony had a broken ankle and a mild concussion. Ziva looked at Tali and LJ, "Be extra careful, you two. No more injuries this Christmas!"

~TIVA~

As the DiNozzo family was eating breakfast on Christmas Eve morning, Ziva went out to the garage to take the turkey out for thawing so that she could roast it overnight. Tim had found a thirty pound bird at the local warehouse club after Thanksgiving. Ziva had put it in her freezer, since it was the only one large enough to hold the bird. She picked it up from the freezer and stepped back to close the door. As she did, the turkey slid from her grasp. It fell to the floor, landing on Ziva's right foot. It split perfectly in half along the spine, but Ziva did not notice. Her foot was painful, throbbing and felt like it was swelling. She tried to walk into the house, but it hurt like blazes when she put her weight on it. She called out for Tony and Tali. Tony heard Ziva call out and was on his feet, with his crutches in a flash. Tali had been at the kitchen sink, and also moved quickly. Tony opened the door from the kitchen to the garage, and saw Ziva trying to hobble over. He saw the pieces of the turkey on the floor.

Tali rushed to her mother and provided support on the side of her injured foot to help her into the house and to a chair. Tony gently removed Ziva's shoe and sock and could see the swelling in her foot already. He had Tali get a bag of frozen peas from the inside freezer. He wrapped the bag of peas in a towel and placed it on Ziva's foot. Tali went and picked up the two halves of the turkey and put them in roasting pans to thaw.

After half an hour, the foot looked worse, so Tony called Gibbs. "We have another injured here, Gibbs. I think Ziva has broken her right foot." Gibbs came and took Ziva to the ER, where an x-ray confirmed the broken foot. Her foot was put in a cast and she was discharged.

~TIVA~

Gibbs brought Ziva home and helped her into the house. He told her and Tony that he would be staying overnight, no arguments, and then had both of them sit in the family room with the injured children. "You all are going to take it easy. I am here to stay, and with Tali and LJ's help, we will take care of the rest of you."

~TIVA~

Christmas dinner was celebrated at the DiNozzo house that year. Gibbs had called Delilah, Breena, Ellie, and Abby and they cooked the food, including the turkey, and brought it to the dinner. Presents were exchanged among the extended family, and Ellie and Clayton announced their upcoming addition to the family.

Thankfully, Tali and LJ remained uninjured, but Christmas 2025 became known as the "DiNozzo Disaster."

A/N2 The turkey incident is based on real-life. My mother did exactly what Ziva did one Thanksgiving, many, many years ago when we had 35 family members at our house for dinner. My grandfather got a free turkey every year from his employer, and that year's was 32 lbs.