Title: Yes Tony there really is a Santa.

Summary: Can Santa really give Tony what he wants for Christmas.

Just a fun little one shot that came to me. Have a wonderful holiday, whatever you celebrate.

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"You have to stay at least long enough to talk to Santa." She whined as she tugged at his arm.

Tony rolled his eyes. Abby still honestly believed in Santa. He wondered if someone actually snuck into her house every year and left a present for her from Santa. Sounded like something Gibbs would do for her. She was his favorite.

"Please!" Abby begged. "Just have a cookie and wait for Santa. He'll be here in like five minutes. He's finishing with the kids upstairs."

"You honestly think this is the real Santa coming here to NCIS?"

"NO." She said with annoyance. "He's a helper Santa, like all the Santa's at the mall."

Tony rubbed his forehead. The woman was exasperating.

"There has to be something you wanna ask for." She watched as his Adam's apple bobbed up and down and he got a slightly scared look on his face. She smirked. "See there is something you want!"

Yeah but he would never get it, even if Santa was real. Tony groaned. "Fine I'll stay." He held out his hand. "Give me the cookie."

She grinned and handed him the sugar cookie, which he immediately took a big bite of.

He looked at the cookie. "These are good!"

She laughed as he sprayed cookie crumbs from his mouth. "Stay here, I'll be right back. I'm gonna grab some milk and cookies for Santa."

"Sure." Tony nodded as he took another bite of the cookie. He glanced up from his desk and watched all the people laughing and celebrating around him. The NCIS Christmas party was always a good time, but he'd already played the happy jovial agent for the last three hours. Now he just wanted to go home and forget that it was Christmas tomorrow. If he was smart he would have done what Gibbs always did. Disappear long before the party started. By now Gibbs was probably three or four glasses into the Bourbon and working on the boat.

"No one should look so sad on Christmas Eve."

Tony looked up and chuckled. A Santa stood before him. Red suit, white beard, wire rimmed glasses. Typical mall Santa. "Well Christmas isn't really my thing."

Santa nodded. "Have you been a bad boy?"

Tony shook his head. "Not as bad as I'd like to be." His eyes widened and darted back and forth. "I mean no."

Laughing, Santa smiled. "I happen to know you've been good this year."

"And how do you know that?"

"I'm Santa. I know these things." The man said with complete conviction.

It was Tony's turn to laugh as he stared at the man trying to figure out who was playing Santa this year. Maybe Arty from payroll...a little too thin for Arty. Greg from Matthews team, looked about the right size, but then anyone could be wearing stuffing under the costume.

"You don't believe me." Santa's eyes narrowed. "What will it take to convince you?"

"A lot more than a red suit and fake beard." Tony chuckled.

"What if I could give you what you really want for Christmas."

Tony laughed and shook his finger at the man. "If you can do that. I'll leave you two dozen cookies and a gallon of milk on Christmas eve year for the rest of my life!"

Santa smiled happily. "It's a deal on one condition."

Tony groaned and rolled his eyes. "When did Santa start demanding conditions?"

"When he's dealing with a man that refuses to actually admit what he wants." Santa paused and stared at Tony. "Even to the one he wants."

Tony's brow furrowed.

"I know what you want...or rather who you want." Santa rocked back and forth on his heels. "Question is can you admit it, even if it's just to Santa."

Again, Tony rolled his eyes. "I'm still not sure I trust Santa."

Santa shrugged. "Only one way to find out."

Tony eyed the man up and down. Last year NCIS hired a Santa from some company, if that was the case this year it would be safe to tell the guy what he wanted. But if it turned out to be someone from NCIS trusting Santa could be a very bad thing.

Santa leaned over the desk more. "He already knows and he will never hear about this conversation."

Tony squared his shoulders. "Are you messing with me Santa?"

Santa chuckled and shook his head. "No."

"Then if you already know and he already knows, why don't you just give me what I want." Tony was gonna work this out without giving anything away. "I shouldn't have to admit it."

"That's not how this works." Santa stood back up. "You have to tell Santa what you want."

"Damn." Tony sighed. Unfortunately, that was how it worked. Kids went to see Santa at the mall to tell him what they wanted or wrote a letter telling him what they wanted. Kinda hard to get around that whole part of the story. Tony's eyebrow went up again. "If I do this I'm not sitting on your lap."

Santa nodded. "That's not a requirement. That's why I accept letters."

"Maybe I should just write you a letter."

Santa shook his head. "I won't get it by midnight."

"You're right here I could hand it to you." Ah this was his way around everything. Tony smirked.

"Fine but if I am someone that works here." Santa paused. "Do you want me to have written proof?"

"Damn it!" Tony scoffed then glared at Santa. "Well played Santa."

Santa chuckled. "Is it that scary to admit?"

"Yes." Tony ran his hands down his face. "Saying it out loud makes it real...puts it out there in the universe and you can't take it back."

"Would you really want to?" Santa's eyebrows went up. "If asking me for it gets you what you want, why would you take it back?"

"And if I admit it and don't get it? Then what?" Tony again glared at Santa. "I'd hate to have to hunt Santa down."

"I already told you." Santa smirked. "I can give you what you want."

Tony pointed at Santa. "This isn't one of those weird movie genie gifts were I ask for it and you give it to me in some messed up bizarre way like he's drugged and tied to my bed not knowing how he got there."

"Um no." Santa rubbed his forehead. The man was exasperating. "Santa doesn't trick people."

The wheels were still turning in Tony's head as he stared at the Santa before him.

Santa sighed. "I do have other people to see tonight."

"Fine."

Opening his arms, Santa smiled. "Ask away."

Tony glanced around making sure no one was paying attention. When he made sure it was clear he looked at Santa. "The only thing I want for Christmas...is Leroy Jethro Gibbs." He swiveled in his chair and stared over at the desk diagonal from his. "I've been in love with him for years. Him loving me back is the only Christmas present I've wanted to ask for since then." He shook his head. "And I know you can't make that happen." Turning back to Santa, Tony jumped up and spun around in a circle. "What the hell?"

The man was gone. Tony scanned the small groups of people around him, nothing. His mouth dropped open then closed. He laughed. "No. No way."

"No way what?" Abby said approaching Tony's desk. Seeing his confused look and him scanning the room she asked. "What's wrong?"

"Santa was just here."

"No." She glanced at the stairs. "He's just coming down."

Tony looked back at the stairs as Santa walked down. "That's Arty."

"Yeah. He's a helper Santa. The kids love him."

"But the Santa that was here was not Arty." He glared at Abby then pointed at her. "You set this up, trying to make me believe in Santa."

"Set what up?" She looked at him confused.

"Santa was just here."

Her eyes went wide. "Santa oh my God I totally missed it! What did he say?" She bounced up and down with excitement.

"Abby it wasn't really Santa." He rolled his eyes. "It had to be someone else from here dressed as Santa."

"There's no one else here dressed as Santa." She snapped her fingers. "There is Janna from Records she's dressed as a naught Santa, AGAIN! Was it her?"

He groaned. "It was not a naughty Santa. It was a fat man, red suit, white beard, wire rim glasses."

"OH my God so it was actually Santa!" She clapped. "Did you tell him what you wanted?"

"Abby! It was not Santa."

"Yes it was."

"Santa is not real!" Tony snapped.

A sad pout quivered on Abby's lips. "Yes he is."

He dropped his head forward, then walked around and hugged Abby. "I'm sorry Abs."

"Santa is real and if you told him what you wanted, you'll get it." Abby sighed. "Then you'll believe."

"Yeah." He kissed her cheek and drew back smiling. "You get exactly what you want every year from Santa don't you?"

She nodded and smiled.

"What did you ask for this year?" Tony grinned changing the subject.

"This new skeleton handbag. It's so cool."

He kissed her cheek. "I'm sure you'll get it." Walking back around the desk he grabbed his bag. "I'm heading out."

She nodded.

Making his way to the elevator, Abby called out to him.

"If you asked Santa. You'll get what you want too." She waved.

He stepped into the elevator and hit the button. What I want Santa can't buy. And he now had no doubt Gibbs was the one playing Santa for Abby. He had seen the bag from the Forensic Scientists favorite store under Gibbs' desk last week.

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All Tony wanted was to change, make some popcorn and plop himself on the couch in front of the TV. Maybe a few Christmas movies or better yet some DVD that had absolutely nothing to do with Christmas and Santa. Turning down the hallway to his apartment, he froze.

The man leaning against his door glanced down the hall at him.

This had to be a coincidence. Yeah that's what it was. Too bad, like Gibbs, he didn't believe in coincidences. Finally he started down the hallway, stopping as he reached the man.

"Did you get lost?" Tony chuckled.

The man shook his head.

"Just decided to stop by?" Just find out what he wants and he'll leave.

"Yeah." Gibbs pulled his hands from his coat pocket. "And for this."

"You got me a present?" Tony's brow furrowed as Gibbs held up the small box. "You never get me a present...you never get any of us a present. Well except Abby."

Gibbs shrugged. "Things change."

What things. Tony thought to himself. Stop it. This is nothing more than a Christmas present.

"Here." Gibbs handed Tony the box. "I hope you like it." Pushing off the door, he slipped past Tony.

Tony closed his eyes. "You wanna come in?"

It took a moment but the answer finally came. "Sure."

Unlocking the door, Tony walked in leaving the door open for the man behind him.

"Beer or actually I have some Bourbon." Tony hung up his coat and offered to take Gibbs.

"Beers good." Handing Tony his coat, Gibbs smirked. "How was the party?"

"Like every year." Tony laughed grabbing two beers from the fridge. "Vance was hiding in his office, Randy was singing, and Janna was dressed as a naughty Santa." He handed a beer to Gibbs.

"And whom was naught Santa after this year?" Gibbs chuckled.

"Not sure." Tony grinned taking a seat on the couch. "Last time I saw her she was with um, that guy from Johnson's team." He snapped his fingers trying to think of the name. "The one with the hair that looks fake."

"Darren." Gibbs laughed.

"Yes. Darren." Tony shook his head. "That will be messier than when she went home with Mark last year."

"Why's that?"

"Darren is married."

"Ouch." Gibbs groaned.

Tony glanced at the box he had sat on the coffee table. "Should I open that?"

"If you want."

Picking up the box, Tony shook it and grinned. "Doesn't rattle."

Gibbs chuckled. "Just open it."

Ripping off the wrapping, Tony opened the box and looked inside. He smiled and laughed, hiding the deep emotion the present stirred.

"Not everyone will let you down." Gibbs stared at his beer bottle for a moment then glanced over at Tony. "I'll always be here for you."

Tony nodded.

"Hope you like Fozzie the bear." Gibbs smiled.

"I do." Tony laughed. "A lot more than I like Mighty Mouse."

An unusual silence fell between them. Tony pulled a leg up under himself.

"Why?" The gift was meaningful and unexpected. But most of all it was very unGibbs.

"You needed it."

Tony chuckled. "I needed a Fozzie stapler."

"No you needed to know someone cares." Gibbs paused. "You're in that Christmas funk. Re-evaluating your life, the past and the future."

"I do that every Christmas."

"But this Christmas it's the future that's bothering you, not the past." Gibbs' fingers brushed over Tony's knee then rested there.

"Yeah." Tony managed to say as his brain tried to comprehend the intimacy of Gibbs' touch.

"Me too." Gibbs sighed.

Trying to keep his voice steady, Tony asked. "What's bothering you about the future?"

"Something I want." Gibbs finger moved again in gentle patterns over Tony's knee. "Someone."

"And you haven't told them?" This time Tony's voice faltered as he rested his hand on his thigh within reach of Gibbs' fingers.

Gibbs shook his head. "No." He hooked one of their fingers together.

"Why haven't you?" Tony sighed breathlessly.

"Never thought he'd be interested."

"And now?" Tony felt his heart stop as he entwined their hands.

"I'm thinking I was wrong."

Tony took a deep breath. "You were wrong. Very wrong."

Picking up their joined hands, Gibbs kissed the back of Tony's hand. "Plus there's something I need to know."

"Like what?" What could Gibbs possible need to know other than he wanted this, him, all of it?

"Can't do a fling...not with him." Gibbs needed to hear it, needed to know. "For several reasons."

"That's not what I want." It was the first time either of them admitted this conversation was about the two of them.

"Good." Gibbs nodded.

"What are the reasons?"

Gibbs looked at Tony and took a deep breath. "Too much to lose."

"And the other reason?" Tony held his breath praying it was the answer he wanted to hear.

Blue eyes locked on green. "I love you Tony." Gibbs was surprised as Tony was suddenly in his arms, the younger man capturing his lips.

Tony kissed Gibbs repeatedly, short sweet kisses until the shock finally wore off and Gibbs responded. The older man's arms circling around his waist and drawing them together deepening the kiss. It was sweeter than he ever imagined. He never wanted it to end but his lungs demanded air. Drawing back, he smiled down at the older man.

"I was definitely wrong." Gibbs smirked.

"So wrong." Tony grinned back. "I love you, have for a very long time." Climbing off of Gibbs' lap, he stood up and took Gibbs' hand.

"Where we going?" Gibbs asking already knowing the answer.

"I'm taking you to bed." Tony smirked. "It's Christmas Eve we need to be in bed before Santa gets here."

"Still believe in Santa?" Shaking his head, Gibbs chuckled.

"After tonight." Tony smiled. "I definitely do."

"Why is that?"

"Because I got just what I wanted." Stopping as they reached the bed, Tony sighed.

Leaning in, Gibbs' lips brushed against Tony's ear. "Then I think you owe Santa two dozen cookies and a gallon of milk."

Tony's eyes went wide and he stepped back staring at Gibbs.

"Merry Christmas." Gibbs winked as he tossed Tony down on the bed. "Now Santa wants his present."