A/N: Sarah has been not-so-subtly hinting that she'd love to see this in "Happy Endings Never End" for months now, so I decided..since it's Christmas..that I'd write it :D
I didn't have enough time to research Hanukkah properly but I hope I got the basic facts right ;)
MERRY CHRISTMAS! xo

November 2014, six months after Isabella's birth (and the end of "Our Summer")

"Why can we not celebrate both?", Ziva asked, getting slightly annoyed. Tony and her had been arguing back and forth for hours and still hadn't come to a conclusion.

They'd been talking about Christmas and Hanukkah and which to celebrate with Isabella. "Ziva, we're in America", Tony said weakly. "So what? We cannot celebrate Hanukkah in America?", Ziva questioned.

"That's not what I'm saying", Tony insisted. "Okay, then what are you saying?", she fired back. This was ridiculous. And they both knew it. But neither was willing to give up their opinion.

Tony sighed and sat down on the couch. "Tell me more about Hanukkah", he requested. She looked at him surprised but sat down next to him anyway. "It is celebrated for eight days but we could shorten it to just one day if you would like. The procedure is the same on every day anyway", she started and he nodded.

"Hanukkah is mostly about light. The light that came into the world, you know. And therefore many candles are lit. They are lit in a special order which is just a tradition, nothing fancy", she went on and again he nodded.

"It takes place in the evening, at sundown, starting November 27. The children receive gifts and candy, sometimes small amounts of money. Hanukkah is celebrated with the lighting of the candles and a dinner", Ziva explained.

"Wait, so it could start on Thanksgiving?", Tony questioned. She rolled her eyes. She'd already told him that when they'd started their ridiculous argument. "Not this year, no. But it depends on the year. It starts any time between November 27 and December 26", she said.

"That's strange", he commented, causing her to roll her eyes yet again. "What's for food?", he then asked. She chuckled. "Of course you would ask that immediately. It depends but I prefer Sufganiyyot", she told him.

"And what is this Suf-something?", he questioned, making her laugh. "You will just have to try it", she said sweetly. He threw his hands up in the air. "Okay, you win. We'll celebrate it all. Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukkah. But we'll only have one Hanukkah dinner, okay?", he gave in.

She smiled brightly and hugged him tightly. "Thank you", she whispered into his ear. "It's important to you, isn't it?", he asked and she nodded. "I want Isabella to get to know my culture as well", she said softly.

He smiled, tugging a strand of hair behind her ear. "Then we'll do it. You'll just have to guide me", he whispered, before kissing her lips softly. A cry from the crib caused them to pull apart and Ziva sighed.

"Looks like someone is awake", she said, standing up from the couch to walk over to their daughter. She'd been sleeping peacefully in her crib since lunch which had given her and Tony time to sort this argument out.

She picked Isabella up and rocked her in her arms gently. "Hey, it is okay sweetheart", she whispered to the toddler. Tony approached her from behind and looked over her shoulder.

"Mommy and daddy were just talking about Christmas and Hanukkah and Thanksgiving. Looks like you'll get lots of presents in November and December", he said, touching their daughter's cheek with his finger.

Isabella giggled and smiled her adorable toothless smile. Ziva looked up at Tony and he kissed her lips without a second of hesitation. "I love you", she whispered against his lips.

"Ani ohev otach", he murmured back. Her heart skipped a beat and she leaned back against his chest. God, how she loved this man.

December 2019, five years later

"Mommy! Daddy!", Isabella exclaimed as Tony and Ziva entered the house. She came running to them and Tony picked her up and spun her around, making her giggle.

"Was Auntie Abby nice to you?", he asked their daughter. "Yes! She let me play with my doll house", Isabella announced happily. Ziva smiled as Abby walked out of the living room and hugged her friend tightly.

Abby had offered to pick Isabella up from kindergarten and spend the afternoon with her, so Tony and Ziva would have some time to go shopping for Isabella's presents.

This year, Hanukkah fell on the 22nd of December which meant they really needed Christmas and Hanukkah presents at the same time. "Thank you", Ziva whispered into Abby's ear.

"Aww, you know how much I love spending time with her", Abby replied, shrugging. It was true. Abby was always the first to volunteer to watch Isabella for them if they needed some time off or couldn't take Isabella somewhere.

Abby had even let Isabella play in her lab a couple times when Tony and Ziva had had to work and couldn't pick her up at kindergarten. With Abby in the picture they hadn't even needed a babysitter yet.

And Isabella was already five years old. A couple times, Vance's daughter had watched Isabella as well. The two of them got along very well. Ziva was more than happy to have such a wonderful family. She knew how much Isabella loved everyone as well. And how much everyone loved Isabella.

"Daddy, daddy, my first holidays in kindergarten! Will you take me ice-skating? Pretty please?", Isabella begged her father and Ziva laughed. She smiled up at Tony and he shrugged. "I suppose I will", he gave in. He couldn't resist his two girls. Not in a hundred years.

"Mommy, daddy, Emma was so jealous of me today. She said she only celebrates Christmas and I told her I will get lots and lots of presents because we celebrate Hanukkah. She didn't even know what it is", Isabella babbled.

Tony and Ziva smiled at each other. "Why do we celebrate both?", Isabella wanted to know next. "Because, Bella, your mom is Jewish and..", Tony started but Isabella cut him off: "I know she is, duh!"

"Of course you know", Tony said, patting her on the head. "So, your mom celebrates Hanukkah because she is Jewish. And when you were very young, we decided that we wanted to celebrate both, Christmas and Hanukkah with you. So that you can experience both cultures", he then explained.

Isabella nodded, her eyes wide. "That's good. Because I love you both and I love presents", she announced. Abby chuckled behind them and Tony and Ziva grinned at each other.

Yes, it had definitely been a good decision to celebrate both, Christmas and Hanukkah. Because, well, Isabella loved presents a lot but she loved her parents even more.

A/N: Tadaaaa! :D I wanted to have an older Isabella who talks about her experience with Hanukkah and Christmas and kindergarten, soooooo :D
Please let me know what you think, what could be improved and most importantly what you wanna see in future chapters in the reviews section! :)
Thank you so much for all your kind reviews, follows, favorites and everything else. Not only for this sequel-collection-story but also for "Our Summer". You're the best ever! xo
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Much love,
~ Caro