Have No Fear

Probably because he missed out on any semblance of holiday rituals the majority of his childhood, NCIS Senior Field Agent Anthony Dinozzo thrived upon the Christmas movie tradition he had personally established at the agency the year he joined it.

Thanks to Tony, his closest colleagues gathered annually to honor Christmas together over a viewing of Jimmy Stewart's classic It's A Wonderful Life in MTAC every December.

Excited at the evening ahead and humming "Jingle Bells" loudly, Tony barely managed to gain entrance via the scanner, thanks to the two tremendous bowls of buttered popcorn he clutched.

Once safely inside, though, he threaded his way down the short flight of stairs and set the popcorn on the side table designated for food. Despite verbal instructions from Leon Vance, the NCIS head honcho, not to do anything to diminish the seriousness of the room or the mission within its walls, Brinna Palmer and Laila Franks had slipped in earlier with Dr. Ducky Mallard and Jackson Gibbs.

Thus, strands of colored lights framed the tremendous video screen, gorgeous poinsettias lined the stairs, and tables embellished in decorative Christmas themes lay covered with Christmas treats and beverages. With a nod to Gibbs and Ducky two coffee pots waited- one filled with strong coffee for Jethro to enjoy, and the other to provide hot water for the tea they had readied for Dr. Mallard.

For the others, a punch bowl of eggnog invited tasting, along with spicy mulled cider.

Laughing at Tony's attempts to juggle the popcorn bowls to keep the kernels safely within the containers, the girls each grabbed one.

Relieved of his offering, Tony stood still a moment and willed himself to accept that he had orchestrated this gathering and was instrumental in encouraging the goodwill and companionship all around him. Pivoting slowly, he drank in all aspects of his highly anticipated evening and allowed himself to bask in the comfort and love of the scene stretched in front of him.

His boss met his eye and subtly nodded, his signal to Tony that the agent had made his father figure- leader- mentor, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, very proud.

Acknowledging the communication with a lopsided grin, Tony turned his attention to Jimmy Palmer, Ducky's assistant medical examiner and newlywed of Brinna. Acting as the disc jockey, Jimmy supervised an audio and video Christmas carol display which scrolled across the room's huge screen. Not only did the beautiful musical tributes play in the background and create the ambience, but he had coordinated the lyrics to scroll underneath visual depictions in the songs.

Timothy McGee hovered over the video board's controls, his fingers flying as he worked. Tiptoeing, Tony laughed uproariously as he threw himself down in the seat beside Tim, who jumped in surprise.

Scowling, Tim chided him. "You could have announced yourself, Tony."

"True," Tony grinned, "but I wanted to creep quietly like Santa and sneak up on you."

Tim regarded him with a mixture of exasperation and affection. "Will you scram now? I want to finish this before the movie starts."

"You have it loaded or streamed or whatever?"

Regarding Tony appreciatively, his coworker threw an arm over his shoulder. "The movie's ready to rock the house. All systems are go."

"Ok," Tony flashed him a genuine smile, and Tim couldn't resist grinning in return. His partner was such a mix of rogue and child that it proved difficult to even become frustrated with him at times.

The senior field agent scanned the viewing area as he rose, and his earlier feeling of peace intensified.

Here in this very important link to national security, a congregation of those closest to Tony Dinozzo milled. Though his boss and Abby Scuito, the agency's forensic scientist, actually comprised his surrogate family, he genuinely cared for the others surrounding him.

Despite his stern lip service reiterating the role of agents and the use of the MTAC room, NCIS Director Leon Vance carefully arranged the toys donated for the Marine Corp's Toys for Tots program under the Christmas tree Abby had set up and decorated. Tony watched as Vance knelt down on the floor to drag some of the smaller parcels to the front.

The Director's outgoing son, Jared, currently wound his way through the celebrants handing out red fur hats, elf ears, reindeer horns, and other items to upgrade and embellish apparel. Kayla, his sister, lifted little Amira, Laila's small daughter, to hang beautiful red velvet stockings on the temporary mantle Gibbs had designed and built for the occasion.

Excited with the activity, Tony reminded himself that the event had begun his first year as a simple movie viewing, but had now grown to encompass all of the room's occupants.

He felt blessed, and good, and so grateful that he now shared this celebration.

Ducky, or Doctor Mallard, clapped loudly as he strode to the center of the room. "Allow me your attention for a moment."

The listeners silenced themselves in a couple of seconds and then regarded Ducky expectantly.

Motioning around the room, he spoke with a voice tinged with regret, but also with hope. "Let us look around at this room this evening, and at these people around us, and remember how we should always treasure each other."

Director Vance glanced swiftly at his children with Ducky's words. They faced the first Christmas without Jackie, their mother. Both returned his appraisal with reassuring grins, but like with their father, the ache still throbbed.

"So in the spirit of acknowledging what has been given us, and the spirit in which we conduct our lives, let us take seats so that Jackson Gibbs can remind us of the origins of love and sacrifice in our world."

As the group settled into cushioned seats in the viewing rows, Jethro's father, Jackson, strode to the middle of the area.

The lights dimmed, highlighting his mission.

Tim slid away from the controls and approached Jackson. As he spoke with him he gestured toward the video screen.

Finally, he returned to his responsibility.

Jackson adjusted his glasses and regarded all of the listeners before focusing upon one. "Tony, we owe you our appreciation today for insisting that we take this one evening a year to not only reaffirm the value of life, but to look around and see what honestly makes life worth living."

A chorus of thanks for the senior field agent followed, and the audience broke into extemporaneous applause.

Tony, never able to understand how valued he was to others, looked away.

Opening a well worn copy of The Holy Bible, Jackson's voice mesmerized the spectators as he read the account of the birth of Christ to them.