I am so sorry for the long wait but life got in the way. I tried for a long time to reach my beta, who had the chapters 6 and 7, but I never got an answer. So I had to search for a new one and luckily I found a good one. At this point, I want to thank OneWriterGirlOfficial for helping me out. Also, there was a bereavement in the family.

I really want to promise you guys that I'll update regulary from now on but I don't want to break my promise. What I can promise is that I'll update as soon as I get the chapters back from my beta.

Thanks for being patient with me.

Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS.

Chapter 6

It was Monday morning, eight o'clock to be exact. Tony just entered the bullpen and in spite of the long evening with Ducky and Abby, he felt relatively well recovered. McGee and Ziva were already sitting at their desks and were working on something. If Tony had to guess, he'd say they were working cold cases. It felt like an eternity to him since the team had had a new case. Since Parsons investigated Bodnar's case, the team had been taken from the rotation and only when Parsons ended his investigation, they would be on it again. Hopefully the team would still be intact and not broken because of Parsons.

„Good morning Probie, Ziva." Tony greeted his colleagues. Ziva gave him a weak smile, uncertain where the two of them stood at the moment.

„Good morning, Tony. When I was down at Abby's this morning to give something to her, I discovered that you invited Abby and Ducky over for dinner. Why didn't you ask us, too? It'd have been interesting to get to know Amelia better. She seems like a bright girl. "

Ziva stared at Tony. McGee hadn't told her about that fact when he came back from Abby and was surprised at what she heard. She understood that Tony didn't want to let her in on his private life, but McGee? He shouldn't have a problem with McGee and in spite of the many teasing moments, they are good friends. They could depend on each other when the situation called for it.

She considered last night how she could strengthen her partnership with Tony again and built it farther up, but everything she had thought of needed a clarifying conversation and Tony didn't look like he wanted to have one in the nearer future. Not when they had tried to have three conversations last week and every time it had ended in the worst way possible.

In addition to her problems with Tony, Adam had called again to ask if she already had plans for the evening. She didn't understand what he wanted in the U.S. They had agreed that one time in Israel that it would not happen again and that they were just friends. The second night with Adam hadn't been planned and Ziva had felt awful afterwards. But apparently Adam had fallen in love with her and now he thought that he had a chance at a relationship with her, but you need two people for a relationship and Ziva was not interested in one with Adam. She told Adam that she had to go to work earlier than usually, so that she had to go to bed early and that she would call him when she had some free time again. That meant she had to find a solution not only for her problems with Tony, but also for her situation with Adam, because if she'd have to decide between the two of them she'd always choose Tony and that wouldn't be fair to Adam. He was a nice and good man, good looking, clever and witty. He deserved a woman who really loved him and not her, whom only used him as a distraction from her problems. Ziva shook her head and tried to concentrate at the present again.

„I don't think that you can take it as a planned dinner party if your guests just invited themselves over. But nevertheless, Jo had a great time getting to know Abby better and being around Ducky again. Besides, my apartment is too small to be able to invite the whole team over. But, nevertheless, you can invite us sometime over for dinner, McGemcity. You have enough money."

„As good as I know you, Tony, I'd be poor at the of the evening."

„Ha ha, really witty." Tony responded not a second later.

„I find it suitable, DiNozzo." Tony's body suddenly stiffs when he heard the voice of Gibbs behind him. Gibbs grinned briefly and passed him. „Parsons finishes his investigation today."

Now three amazed faces are staring directly at Gibbs. Parsons was finished? „Really? I was getting the feeling that he has made himself quite comfortable in his position," says DiNozzo.

„His investigations can't go on forever. To be exact, we have to go up to Vance now and find out the results of the investigation."

„Do you think that the team is going to be broken up?" This was the biggest worry and Ziva was the only one who announced the question loudly.

„Well, we're about to find out." Gibbs walked to the stairs and the others followed him. When they got into Vance's office, Parsons was already there. Vance got up to greet his agents.

„Nice that everybody is here now. I am glad to be able to say that Agent Parsons ends his investigation about Ilan Bodnar's death and that soon everything will go back to normal again. Agent Parsons, you have the word."

„As you all know, I'm here to investigate the case of Ilan Bodnar. To be precise, whether his death was on purpose or, actually, only an accident. In the time in which I was here I have studied each of you in detail. While I couldn't find any proof which would point out to the fact that the death of Ilan Bodnar was on purpose, and the talks with you also have proved nothing in this direction, I have come to the conclusion that his death was, indeed, an accident."

The tension disappeared and the relief is noticeable on the faces of the agents. But Parsons isn't finished yet. „However, I have learnt a lot about your team in the time in which I was here and have seen through some of your old cases and caught up information of your team from other agents and agencies. Apparently it is no rarity for this team to decide on things without agreement with the director or SecNav and to perform unorthodox action and this can't be tolerated any longer. To improve the control of this team, all decisions will be sanctioned in future by a second person, sort of a Team Manager. This Team Manager will be kept up to date about all facts, results and all other approaches in a case. He'll be the new leader of this team, so to speak and will be provided by the DOD. Any questions?"

„Will this Team Manager be also present in the field?" asks Gibbs.

„Only if he thinks it's necessary. Primarily, he is only there to be informed about the actions of this team and to transmit this information to higher positions. Should he think, however that his presence is necessary, he may also interfere in the field work."

„When will this Team Manager arrive?" asked Vance who didn't like the idea. He didn't need somebody who interfered with his decisions.

„Probably tomorrow morning. He comes from L.A. where he has just finished a case. His flight goes very early in the morning and he will come here immediately from the airport and introduces himself."

„That means it is already decided who'll take the position of the Team Manager?"

„Yes. The person is already informed and he knows his future duties." Parsons looked at his watch. „If there are no further questions, I have to get going. I have another appointment."

Vance hold out his hand to Parsons to say goodbye. „Agent Parson, thank you for your work."

„This is my job, Director." Parsons took his bag and looked at the team. „I hope that the methods and the exchange of information between the team and the authorities will improve and that another internal investigation won't be necessary any time soon. Agents Gibbs, David, DiNozzo, McGee. I wish you a nice day." Everybody watched as Parsons left the office.

„Finally! I started to think that he'll never leave." says Vance and sits down at his desk again.

„What do you think of this new Team Manager?" asks Gibbs.

„Nothing good. I don't need somebody who interferes with my decisions regarding the MCRT. I lead this agency for many years now and I never had to justify my decisions, except if it has concerned something in which the SecNav had to be included. But it was likely to be only a matter on time, when somebody would have come to keep a short leash on your team."

„Do you know who it is?"

„No. Parsons hasn't mentioned a name, but I think, he won't approve as many things as I did, otherwise Parsons wouldn't have chosen him."

„Then we have to wait and see who this Team Manager is who wants to restrain the team," Gibbs said.

The team was on a side road somewhere in Georgetown and was working a crime scene. Ziva questioned the witnesses, McGee took pictures of the scene and Tony took measures. Half an hour after the meeting in Vance's office, they had gotten a new case. A dead Petty Officer had ben discovered in a side road. The provisionally cause of death were three shots to the chest. Even if it wasn't in favor for the Petty Officer, the team was glad to have an actual case again.

After the scene was completely worked and the body was loaded into the truck, the agents were packing up to work on the evidence and statements of the witnesses at NCIS HQ. Unfortunately McGee was quicker than Tony, so that Tony had to ride with Ziva in one car. Other than Tony, Ziva was glad about this fact, because she had waited for the best opportunity to start a new conversation with Tony regarding their arguments and disagreements and a car drive on which Tony couldn't flee from, played in her favor.

Since the last argument, which had degenerated, the situation between them hadn't changed. The partnership with him had hardly changed and someone who didn't know the two of them that well wouldn't recognize the small differences. For a foreign eye, they would be the perfect team, but Ziva noted the differences and she was sure that the team had noticed them, too. Tony and Ziva were not as close with each other anymore than a few weeks ago. If Tony didn't have to speak with her because of something related to the case, he wouldn't say a word to her. The usual flirting was gone and Tony didn't take interest in her private life anymore, which was not normal, because Tony was always interested in the private life of her and the others.

However, Tony seemed to stay true to his threat and stopped everything that wasn't professional. Ziva won't accept that. She wanted to get back their partnership. Her partner. Her Tony. Her Tony who snooped through her desk. Her Tony who bluntly flirted with her at every opportunity he got. Her Tony for whom she would give her life. Even if she wouldn't tell it anybody, she had, finally, accepted her feelings for Tony. But before she could tell him about her feelings, their partnership had to be restored and Ziva was very determined to do this.

„Tony, can we talk about what happened?" Ziva asked, not knowing exactly how she should approach the subject.

„I would prefer it if we'd postpone the conversation."

„No, we will not postpone it. This is the perfect time for it. None of us can flee and we can talk through everything. We cannot push away this conversation forever."

„We can if we really want to." Tony answered meekly. Maybe it would make a difference when I drove a little bit faster? Then we'd be faster at the Navy Yard and this conversation would be over.

„Tony! Why do you make it so difficult for me?"

Tony sighs. It'd do nothing good. Maybe he should simply resign himself to this conversation and afterwards the world would be okay again. „Alright, you want to talk? Then talk. But don't expect me to be a part of this."

„Thanks." This is not really what Ziva understood by a clearing conversation, but maybe she should be glad that he listened to her at all. „I would like to apologize for my behavior."

Tony tried difficultly to hold back a sarcastic answer. Instead, he pressed his lips together tighter and listened.

„I was furious and lost control. But that should not have happened. I'd want you to know that I don't think of you like that. Maybe I thought so at the beginning, but not anymore. You have changed. To the better. You are not this big child any more who looks after every dress and every woman would be proud if she could call you her own." Tony still said no word and Ziva briefly pauses. What she was going to say next didn't necessarily change their partnership for good, but she had to say it. „I know that I would be proud to be able to call you my own."

Tony hold his look on the streets. He let himself go through what she had just said in his head. If this was a scene in one of his movies, he'd now reveal her his feelings. Then they would happily begin a relationship and work on their happy end. Nobody could damage their relationship. But this was not a movie scene and Happy Endings were rare in real life. The problems between them would not simply disappear because they finally stood to their feelings. No, in real life you have to solve the problems first and then you can try to work on a Happy End.

Apparently he has waited too long to give an answer, because Ziva started to speak again. Her insecurity was clear to her voice. „And I'm sorry about Adam. The last thing I wanted was to hurt you. If I could take it back, I would. I slept with him because I felt alone, but the consolation just lasted so long and when I woke up in the morning I felt even more awful."

„Ziva." How should they be able to solve the problem if she didn't even notice what's the real problem? The thing with Adam made no difference. Though it didn't fit right with him that she had slept with him, this isn't the real problem and Tony had no desire to point it out. If she didn't get it what it really was here, wasn't the partnership already lost?

„If you really don't notice what's the real problem here, then it's maybe better to leave it with a professional partnership." Tony says finally.

„What do you mean with 'real problem'? Besides you're not telling me about your daughter, for which I still have not forgiven you, the problem is Adam and our stupid argument!"

„Adam is not the problem! We are not a couple, Ziva. We have no rights on each other. You can do whatever you want to do." Tony said louder than he had wanted. He felt how his patience was strained and he had to control himself not to shout. This situation was so frustrating. Did he really have to present everything to her, so that she understood it? Where was the Ziva with whom he could carry on whole conversations without speaking a single word? Where was the Ziva who understood him completely? Where was she?

„The problem is that I've said to you at the airport that you are not alone. I even told it in your mother language! I have been by your side, have asked you what you needed. I have supported your need for revenge and have even made it one of my priorities not to stop until we had found Bodnar. I let you in my apartment when you felt you where at your lowest and did everything to cheer you up and to protect you. But this didn't matter to you. You've isolated yourself, have held me on distance. And the one time you search for nearness and a way to avoid the loneliness you maneuvered yourself into, you didn't come to me. You haven't remembered your partner that would have been there for you. God, Ziva, I would have jumped in the next airplane and would have flown to you. But not to take Adam's place. No, I would have just been there for you. I would have distracted you from your thoughts, or would have just sat there quietly and would have let you rest on my shoulder. Would've taken you in my arms and told you that I'd always be there for you. Just like the team is there for you. If a phone call would have been what you needed, I would've been ready to spend the whole night on the phone, even when it would mean that the bill would be a month salary. I would have been there for you. But obviously you didn't need your partner who would have done all these things. You've pushed me away often enough now. You wanted to be alone, to be on your own so I have decided to grant you your wish and to leave you alone and threat you like any other colleague. I won't interfere in your private life any more. I'll only deal with you on a professional level and I hope that this is enough distance, so that you feel comfortable. From now on I will think of myself. I'm done telling you again and again like a broken recorder that I'm there for you. That you can always come to me, only to be pushed away at the end over and over again. I don't

To Be Continued...