A/N: I took huge liberties with today's prompt, which led to borderline crack three musketeers bullpen nonsense (season 4, I guess)

Day 22: Write about a creature that only appears in winter.


Ziva rummaged through her drawers looking for her paperclips, but couldn't find them anywhere. She narrowed her eyes looking across the bullpen.

Tony. He must have taken them some time after she threatened to kill him with one.

Her suspect was currently enjoying a nap, leaning back in his chair, occasionally letting out a soft snore, and twitching a little. He reminded her of a St. Bernard puppy she once knew.

As tempting as it was to scare him awake, they all had a long couple of days, and even she could do with some sleep. So, instead of throwing something at him, she quietly walked over to his desk and glanced around.

No paperclips.

Ziva opened the top drawer slowly, trying to avoid the scrape it usually made. Unable to avoid the unpleasant sound completely, she cringed and glanced over her shoulder.

Tony sniffled and mumbled something, then seemed to settle down again. The sound had drawn McGee's attention, though, and he was now looking at her with keen interest. She ignored him, and focused her attention on the drawer instead.

What she saw there made her brows furrow and mouth fall open momentarily. She looked back at McGee, then at the drawer.

After digging her hands in, she brought them up for McGee to see. A few candy bars fell from the top of the pile she was holding, tumbling back into the drawer. The drawer which would make Willy Wonka proud.

McGee's mouth formed an O, and he walked over to her. He looked at the drawer full of candy and cookies, and nodded.

"It's winter-Tony," he said quietly. "He always comes out this time of year."

Ziva gave him a questioning look.

"In December, he's a like a cross between a hibernating bear and a squirrel," he added with another nod.

She glanced back at Tony. He had added a few pounds lately, but she hadn't thought much of it. And she had refrained from commenting on it, after catching him suck in his stomach while looking at his reflection in a window with a grimace.

Clearly he wasn't quite as confident as he let on.

Ziva dug through the candy, not finding her paperclips. She closed the drawer, and this time Tony did wake up.

He wiped at the corner of his mouth and scratched his cheek as he frowned at her. Then his gaze fell on the drawer and he cringed.

Choosing not to confront his winter-eating habits, she leaned back against his desk.

"Where are my paperclips?"

His eyes went wide, and he sat up straight, rolling his chair back as far as he could.

"I don't know," he said in a gravelly voice.

Ziva gave him a hard stare, but decided he was telling the truth.

"Oh, I took them," McGee said. "Forgot to give them back, sorry."

She looked Tony up and down with a soft smile, said, "I like bears," and walked over to McGee's desk to retrieve her office supplies.

When she sat back down, Tony was still looking at her with a confused expression.