IT'S CHRISTMAS! :D :D :D
WOOOO!

here is my Christmas present to you! Thank you, all of you for all the reviews, favourites, and follows. I wasn't really very confident with my writing (you only have to look at my first chapter of my first fanfic to see that), but thanks to you all, I now write with a confidence! You people motivate me, and I am eternally grateful that you would give up some of your time to review little old me.

have a wonderful Christmas Day, wherever you may be in the world

thegirlnextdoor101

Disclaimer: the characters are not mine. but the plot is! ;)

Chapter 17

Tim answered the door to his apartment while pulling on his grey winter coat and slipping his shoes on.

"Timmy!"

Tim hurriedly finished pulling on his jacket, fully aware that he was about to be hit by hurricane Abby. He anchored himself firmly to the ground, and sure to his prediction Abby launched herself into his awaiting arms at full speed.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Abby said into his neck, and Tim grinned. It certainly was a Merry Christmas, especially now that she was there.

"Should we go?" he said, and Abby grinned. She pulled his arm around her and off they went.

The food kitchen was busier than it normally was, but the number of volunteers were as high as the Christmas spirit. It was Tim's first time at this kind of thing, and to say he was surprised would have been on understatement. He was not aware of the number of people that were in need of a hot meal, even in the city, the place where work seemed to be all that happened. The numbers on a page did not justice to the scale of the people, all politely waiting in line to be served a meal. But he was glad to do something.

"Here, you have to put this on, it's compulsory," a voice from his right floated to him, and he turned to see a girl, who couldn't have been more than twenty years old, pushing a Santa hat into his face.

"Thanks," he said pulling it over his head. He was there, he may as well go along with it all…

"Hey, McGee, I've got us some…"

He turned to see Abby carrying two identical hats in her hands. But when she saw the figure next to Tim, her face lit up.

"Hey you!" she said, closing the few metres between them quickly and pulling the girl into a hug.

"McGee, this is Sandy. She runs this thing," Abby said, pulling away from the hug but keeping her arms looped around this girl's waist.

"Hi," he said putting his hand out to shake hers.

"So this is the reason you haven't been clubbing with us in a while," Sandy said, looking McGee up and down with appreciating eyes, "I guess that's fair enough."

This wasn't something that McGee was familiar with, it was the kind of attention that Tony got, not him. But having said that, he couldn't say that he didn't like it.

"So, what you two standing there for, get to work!" Sandy said letting go at Abby. Grinning Abby tugged at Tim's arms and they did just that.

oooOOOooo

Tony shivered against the frosty air. Standing at Ziva's door, he willed her to get to the door faster, to save him freezing off an appendage that he had a liking to. It was Christmas day. All around children were gleefully trying out new toys for the first time, as parents and grandparents frantically worried over the wellbeing of their roasted turkey in the oven. The joy in the air was as thick as the smell of cooking, and despite the fact Tony was risking losing something, there was a childish smile that threatened to escape.

The door was thrown over a few moments by none other than Ziva herself. With her hair down and curly, a thick royal red winter jumper on and a thick pair of leggings hugging her shapely legs, she looked every part of the festivities.

"Hey," Tony greeted her, pulling her into a kiss. But this embrace was cut short by Ziva pulling away, much to Tony's distaste.

"I need to go check on the t-"

But she was cut off, as Tony fully intended to finish what he started, and he pressed his lips against hers. After a few moments Ziva seemed to resign herself that she was not going to get away any time soon, and pulled his neck down so she could get his head exactly the way she wanted it.

"ZIVA THE GRAVY'S ON FIRE!"

That was enough to pull her out of her daze. A look of sheer panic crossed Ziva face, and before Tony could do anything Ziva was out of his arms and halfway down the hallway. Cursing, Tony followed her few steps behind, until he drew up behind her in the kitchen doorway. However the panic in his eyes soon changed to one of amusement.

Tali was stood there leaning up against the counter, next to the pot of gravy that was clearly no on fire. She was gripping the edge of the counter, her knuckles white as she tried to hold herself up as she laughed so hard that her had turned silent, only punctuated with sharp intakes of breath. Her eyes were watering as she chuckled loudly but Ziva's face was not so amused. If thunder had begun to come out of Ziva's eyes, it would not make Ziva's gaze any icier.

"Don't even joke about that," Ziva said coldly, but this only fuelled Tali's laughter. Tony had to bite back a grin that threatened to take over his whole face. And despite the fact Ziva had her back to him, she seemed to sense his mood, and turned her wrath on him.

"Don't you encourage her."

"Ziva, you have got to lighten up," Tali said, having apparently found her voice again. But at the scathing look Ziva sent her, she lost it again, and she was laughing uncontrollably. Ziva turned back to Tony, rolling her eyes at her sister's actions. She was a lost cause.

"She does have a point…" Tony said, trying to be serious, but knowing that if it came to it, he would break just like Tali.

"You're not cooking for your mother, sister, fiancé and aunt!" Ziva said, her voice cutting higher than normal.

Tony decided that it was time to do something about the situation.

"Sit," he ordered, pushing her into one of the tall chairs at the breakfast bar.

"I need to stir the…" Ziva protested but Tony cut her off.

"It's not on the heat. It will be fine," Tony said, and Ziva sighed deeply. Tali took this as her cue to leave.

When Tony was satisfied that Ziva was properly relaxed, he pulled her hair over her right shoulder, and pressed his large hands gently into the tops of her shoulders.

Ziva could fell his long slender fingers pinch and work the tops of her shoulders, skilfully forcing her tightly pulled tendons to relax under his hands.

"Relax."

She felt the words across her bare shoulder, and shuddered at the feeling of the words on her skin. She had never known that this part of her was such a sensitive point, but apparently Tony did, and was using it to his advantage. Her eyes fluttered shut, but that did nothing to shield her from the onslaught of emotion that she felt. She had never remembered feeling so full of desire before, she had never wanted something so bad. Her body and mind were for once in agreement over their longing for Tony. He set her nerves aflame, and never had she ever wanted to be consumed by the fire so badly than she did when Tony was around.

His fingers moved down her back, now encasing her shoulder blades, and she shuddered as he hit a particularly sensitive nerve. If he continued the way he was going, she was going to turn around and have her way with him, lunch be damned.

Tony felt Ziva pushing against the floor to pivot herself around on the chair. There was a pink blush that was littered across her head, confirming his suspicions that Ziva was getting just a little bit worked up by his fingers on her body. That combined with the tiny sighs and intakes of breath that he suspected Ziva herself did not know she was emitting. For the first time, Tony was looking up at Ziva, her chair giving her superior height in comparison to him. And she clearly was going to use it to her advantage. Which he was fine with, because it turned out that what was to her advantage was also to his advantage.

Crushing her lips forcibly against his, if Tony had any doubts about what Ziva wanted, he was put right by this. She seemed desperate to feel him against her, pulled her legs so they lay around his waist, and using her hands to pull him in further. Tony felt shivers course down his neck as she fisted her hands into his hair, as if needing something to grab onto in the storm of passion.

The chime of the doorbell broke the two of them out of their trance, Ziva's eyes wild with the knowledge that they almost got too carried away. Her lips were slightly swollen and her cheeks tinged pink, looking all in all thoroughly loved.

"Maybe I should get that," Tony said, motioning at her. Ziva smiled uncharacteristically shyly at him, and Tony's grin widened as he left the kitchen, happy with the knowledge that he was the one to put that smile on her face.

"Tony!" he heard Ziva from the other room. Tony stuck his head back in, "You have lipstick… just there," Ziva said motioning to her own lip. Tony smiled gratefully and rubbed the spot, while walking down the hallway to get the door.

The meal had been perfect, much to Ziva's relief and everyone had commented on how enjoyable the meal was. After an epic fight between all of the David women over who was going to do the washing up (save Tali, who had left the table to watch some bad Christmas TV as soon as someone else had claimed they would do the washing), they settled around the tree to open presents. Tali reminded him of Abby as she attacked her presents childishly (there was something about the way Tali used that knife with such skill that scared him just like Abby did…). When they had reached the final presents Tony cleared his breath awkwardly.

"I have something for you Ziva," he said, standing so he could face Ziva on the couch. And much to her surprise, he dropped to one knee and pulled a black box out of his pocket.

Despite the fact she already considered them to be engaged, she always assumed that they would just go and but an engagement ring together, they had enough drama already without an elaborate proposal. But no drama was not Tony's style.

"Marry me?" Tony asked, looking Ziva straight in the eyes. Ziva's smile was so bit it was close to cracking her face in two.

"What no speech?" Tali said.

"Tali, I think Tony and I have said enough words on the matter already," Ziva said, not breaking eye contact with Tony, as they both remembered the heated argument that had led to all of this, "and yes."

Tony did not wait for her to stand up, but crushed his lips against hers. That was the answer he was looking for.

oooOOOooo

It wasn't Gibbs' idea to have the team over after lunch on the Christmas day. But Abby had asked, and Abby normally got what she wanted eventually, so he hadn't offered any kind of resistance. Not that had had anything better to do on Christmas Day. He had called Jackson in Stillwater in the morning to wish him a Merry Christmas, and had visited Shan and Kelly's graves in the morning. Now all he had to do was wait for the team to arrive.

Kate was the first to arrive, looking slightly frazzled, which she explained was to do with having all of the Todds in one house. Which was as crazy as it sounded, especially when she had psychotic brothers. She also mentioned something about being glad that Christmas only happened once a year, which was something that he had to agree with.

The next came Tony and Ziva, who had straight from lunch and her house. Gibbs was surprised to notice the delicate ring on Ziva's left hand, but didn't mention anything, instead waiting for Tony or Ziva to mention it.

As his team began to fill his house and beers and glasses were passed around, the laughter and chatter made Gibbs remember Christmases all that time ago with Shannon and Kelly. That was probably the last time he had ever had the house full with so much Christmas cheer and he had missed it. Not that he would admit that out loud, even if someone had held a gun to his head.

The sound of a spoon on a glass (when the hell had she sneaked out to get a spoon?) brought the attention back to Abby.

"I have, I believe all of the presents, so I hereby commence the beginning of the Secret Santa giving," she said, her antler's bobbing up and down with every word.

Tony's gift was first, and the shape of the wrapper kind of gave it away.

"A guitar!? Awesome!"

It was a sandblast wood acoustic, and by the look of it, it was not cheap.

"I didn't know you played?"Kate said.

"Well somebody clearly did…" Tony said, starting to tune it there and there, "Ziva, is this from you?"
"Guess again," McGee said, and Tony looked surprised.

"You?"

McGee nodded affirmative, and Tony's grin grew.

"Thanks McSanta." It was amazing how sincere he was being, despite what his words were.

McGee was next, and to his surprised to see that what appeared to be a box shaped present was in fact an empty box with a note in the bottom saying "your present is at your house."

"Abby?" Tim said quizzically, but Abby was as confused as he was. It was Gibbs' smirk that gave him away.

"Gibbs? Ermm… Thank you…"

Gibbs internally grinned at the young man's nervousness. Despite the years that McGee had at NCIS, he didn't seem to be able to shake the Probie title. But with good reason. McGee may be all macho in Abby's presence, but he still had long way to go. But Gibbs was proud of how far McGee had come since joining NCIS, and his pride was something that was not easily earned.

Gibbs opened his wrapped parcel, and saw surprised to find a book. On closer inspection, it was a photo album, and as he flicked through the first few pages he recognised some of the faces that were no longer in his life. His secret Santa had clearly put a great deal of thought into this gift, something that he was thankful for.

"Duck?" Gibbs asked, but Ducky shook his head, surprising Gibbs.

"Hey boss," Tony said almost guiltily, and to say Gibbs was shocked was an understatement. However, he suspected that Ziva had had a say in this particular present.

The presents came thick and fast, with Abby now wearing her gift (Gibbs wondered how Ziva managed to find a pink and black skull and cross bone onesie…). Ziva had been pleased with the scores to some of her favourite musicals (who knew Palmer had such good taste?) and Kate had already asked if Ducky would accompany her to the musical that he had bought her tickets to see. As it turned out, Ducky received a very nice bow tie, and he accepted Kate's offer, saying how he would have the opportunity to exhibit said tie, which was ironically bought by Kate.

Ziva was sat at on one of Gibbs' couches, observing the scene in front of her. The team were as good as family and she didn't want to intrude on it. She knew that Abby and Gibbs accepted her, but she had spent relatively little time around the rest of them, and did not really know how she fit into this motley band of misfits. The final presents were being passed around, (Jimmy practically attacked Abby with joy when he opened his present to find a NCIS badge and fake ID that looked pretty damn realistic. Jimmy had once expressed his desire to be a NCIS Special Agent, and now he could at least pretend to be), and it was in that mix that Ducky noticed her newly acquired piece of jewellery.

"My dear, is there something you and Tony would like to share?" Ducky said in his usual charming manner. This drew the attention from the rest of the room, and Ziva almost laughed at the shock that registered in their faces. But as people began to swarm over her, to examine the ring, and to congratulate them both, Ziva couldn't remember why she had felt like an outsider…

so there you go! i hope you have a great day, and please review! :)