The DiNozzo family was facing a long and difficult holiday season. The first holiday season after a loved one dies, is almost always the hardest. It was made harder by the fact that AJ had died so close to the holidays. It was easy for the family to just ignore Thanksgiving. They were lost in their grief and nobody felt much like watching television or interacting with the outside world. They had just sat around the house and wallowed in their grief. Christmas and Hanukkah were harder to ignore. Signs of the season were everywhere and the family had recently been forced back to reality. The season was made doubly hard. By the family's mixed faith, which allowed them to celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah. The year before the children had been thrilled to be showered in gifts on Christmas and still be able to participate in the eight nights of Hanukkah presents. Though Tony and Ziva insisted that the girls know the true meanings of the season. This year however the girls were not interested in gifts, and the parents were not itching to educate the children on their mixed cultures.

"Did you get the girls Christmas gifts?" Ziva asked,

"I got Marley the basketball she had been wanting and I got Lily a Like Me Doll. It's an off brand American Girl but a million times cheaper and easier to obtain." Tony explained.

"That's nice." Ziva mumbled.

"Did you get the Hanukkah presents?" Tony asked.

"For the big gift I got Marley a sports camera and I got Lily a play workbench so she stops taking over Alyssa's. For the small gifts just clothes." Ziva explained.

"Remember how much we shelled out last year?" Tony asked.

"We spent almost two hundred dollars in each kid." Ziva recalled.

"I am glad we could give AJ nice holidays. I still can't believe they were his last." Tony commented.

"Same here" Ziva replied.

"I got Christmas flowers for his grave. They are fake but I can't put something that will die prematurely on my son's grave." Tony explained.

"I got him decorative Hanukkah flowers for the same reason." Ziva replied.

"He should still be here." Tony whispered.

Marley slammed her fists into the punching bag. It was the only way she could release her anger. She had officially quit the basketball team and it did not bother her at all. She still loved basketball but playing sports was not what it had once been. Everything had changed since AJ died and she felt as if nobody understood her pain. School had let out that afternoon and in the past she would be dying to celebrate Christmas. This year the only thing that stayed the same was the fact that she had stayed after school let out. In past years it was for the staff vs. students basketball game, but this year it was for an interview. It was a new program the school had started called Peers Bridging Hope. Ten students would be chosen to be a peer buddy a student at the special education school. The students who would be her peers had been AJ's classmates. Marley between her A honor roll, likability, and the fact that she was sister to a former student. Marley was at a slight edge but was still not quite a shoo-in. She would know when school started back up and she could not wait to find out. She did not care about Christmas of Hanukkah. She cared about the birth of Christ and the miracle of the oil lasting for eight days, but she did not care about the presents. She just wanted the days to be over and she wanted to know if she had been selected as a buddy.

"Hey Marley! Guess what!" Logan called.

"You are moving to Antarctica and I am never going to see you again?" Marley asked, hopefully.

"Not even close. I am going to be a peer buddy! Come January we may be co-workers!" Logan cried.

"How on Earth did you find out already?" Marley questioned.

"He was caught making faces at the special needs class and the principal thought it would be a good idea." Jethro explained.

"Don't worry Marley, they were wanting to give you a position right away too. It's not like I pulled it out from under you." Logan assured.

"Thanks for ruining it for me." Marley moaned.

"Don't worry he will be on his best behavior or he will face the consequences." Jethro assured.

Two days before Christmas, Ziva had a routine lady check-up. She wasn't expecting to hear anything out of the ordinary. She woke up the morning of the appointment with a horrible stomachache. She almost rescheduled but the idea of rescheduling an appointment last minute, this time of year. Made her feel even worse than the stomachache did. She chewed a few tums, grabbed a Ginger-Ale and pack of crackers from the cabinet, the barf bucket from the bathroom, and was on her way.

"Alright Mrs. DiNozzo, everything looks great down there and we will call you with the results of your blood test right away." Dr. Turner informed Ziva.

Christmas and the first night of Hanukkah were relatively uneventful. They ate a chicken dinner with a side of latkes, and a simple vinaigrette salad. The girls adored their presents and seemed almost normal for a moment. Tony and Ziva exchanged simple gifts. Ziva gave Tony a framed picture from their first real date and Tony gave Ziva a Star of David sweater. December 26th started out as another ordinary day. Lily went with Gibbs and Alyssa to Build. and Marley went to a basketball with her friend Denise. Tony was having a good day. So Ziva decided to leave him alone and go do some grocery shopping and exchange a the pair of shoes that pinched Marley toes and the dress that did not flatter Lily's complexion. Tony was actually grateful for the time alone. He had not enjoyed much privacy since the PTSD diagnosis. He was doing fine and actually enjoying himself, until he opened up the closet. He was just looking for the extra batteries and nothing more. When it fell from the shelf and landed on the floor with a soft thud. It was the present Tony had bough for AJ. It was a blue teddy bear with the words "Daddy's Little Boy" embroidered on the front. A gift that would horrify most ten year old boys but after the accident, AJ's mental age was only about eighteen months old and he would have adored it. Tony picked the bear up and held it to his face. No flashbacks came but his heart was still raw with grief. Tears were soon flowing from his eyes and staining his cheeks. His tears soon turned to sobs which wracked his body. He sat there on the floor and sobbed his eyes out, until he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"What's wrong, Tony?" Ziva asked.

"I found AJ's present." Tony sobbed.

"Oh" Ziva whispered eyeing the bear.

"I was doing OK but then this." Tony replied.

"I know that you have PTSD and you have a long road to recovery. Nothing can magically cure you but I have something that may ease your pain." Ziva explained.

"What?" Tony asked.

"Well I was going to surprise everybody at gift time tonight but I think you need to hear it now." Ziva replied.

"What is it?" Tony asked.

"I just got off the phone with Dr. Turner." Ziva started.

"Your gynecologist?" Tony questioned.

"Yes Tony, I am pregnant." Ziva announced.

A/N: I was saving the pregnancy for later in the story but thought it would make a nice holiday gift for my readers. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.