Hi everyone. Here's finally the next chapter.

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I hope that you all have happy Holidays :)

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Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS.

Chapter 8

Tony sat comfortably at the dining table and drank his coffee. He had gotten up deliberately earlier, so that he could still have a quiet breakfast. He didn't know when Ziva was going to pick him up on her way to work. Jo was still asleep and because she has to go to school later than usually, he won't wake her up yet. He'll tell Luisa that she should keep an eye on her and if it was necessary, wake her up.

He heard somebody unlocking the door and looked at the clock. 06:37am. Luisa was early today. Maybe she couldn't sleep.

„Good morning, Lu." He didn't look up from the newspaper he was reading.

„Good morning, Anthony. Look whom I've found in front of your door."

Only now, he turned around curiously. Who could have stood in front of his door without knocking and at this time of the day? He was surprised when he saw the person. Ziva. She was a little bit too early. She wore a pale yellow blouse and white trousers. Her hair was still wavy and open. She smiled at him a little bit uncertainly.

„Ziva? You're early. I didn't expect you before 07:15am."

„The weather is bad, which is why I had to cancel my morning run. I hope it is not a problem that I am a little bit early."

Not a problem? Tony looked down on himself. He was still wearing his pyjamas pants and an OSU T-shirt. When Ziva followed his glance, she noticed his appearance for the first time. „As you can see, I'm not in my work clothes yet and I still have to go to the bath."

„I can wait." replied Ziva.

„Oh, nonsense!" interrupted Lu. "If I have understood this correctly, you have still 45 minutes before you have to go and I know you well enough, Anthony, to know that you only drank your coffee and had no proper breakfast. I'll make breakfast for the both of you. Then you can go get changed. "

Tony saw that Ziva tried to reject Lu's offer nicely. In Tony's ears, getting breakfast from Lu sounded wonderfully. „Oh, Zi. I promise you that you'll not regret this. Lu makes the best scrambled eggs in the whole city!"

Zi. He has called her Zi. Suddenly Ziva has the feeling that everything will be okay again. Maybe not today and maybe not tomorrow, but they were on the right way. She smiled softly at him.

„Oh, you charmer. These are just normal scrambled eggs." said Lu.

„Did I hear something about scrambled eggs?" All three were surprised about the fourth voice. Nobody noticed that Amelia was already awake and joined them in the room.

„Hey, you're already up. I thought you have to go to school later today?" asked Tony who turned to Jo. Luisa marched to the kitchen and started preparing breakfast. Ziva stayed for the time being where she was and had a good view on everything. She was not sure how she should behave with Amelia. But once again the decision was taken from her when Amelia smiled friendly at her. She was relieved that she at least didn't have problems with two DiNozzo's.

She smiled back, but to be honest, she has to suppress a grin when she saw the whole appearance of Amelia. Unkempt hair and a yellow-green sleeping suit. Just like her dad.

„Nobody can sleep with the noise going on in here. Good morning, Ziva. Do you have breakfast with us?"

„Looks like it."

„Luisa makes the best scrambled eggs."

Now Ziva couldn't suppress a grin. That was exactly what Tony said just two minutes ago. They're definitively related. „I have heard this already."

„Dad! Where're your manners? Do you want to let Ziva stay at the door the whole time? "

„Ohh, yes, sure. Please feel at home. You know where to put your jacket. " Jo hit her dad on his chest.

„Ouch!"

„Do you normally treat a woman like that? No wonder you're still single."

Ziva laughed out loud. It was good to be able to laugh so freely again. To have no worries at the moment, even if it was just for a short time. She saw how Tony rolled his eyes and went over to her to take her jacket from her. Interesting who raises here whom.

„What would you like to drink? Coffee? Tea? Water?" She followed him to the kitchen where Luisa made the scrambled eggs. She liked Luisa. She was very nice. She didn't know whether she should knock or wait a little longer. After all, she was quite early and she didn't want to disturb anybody. But before she could turn around and go back to her car, Luisa has already found her waiting in front of the door. After briefly introducing herself, Luisa looked at her with a knowing glance. Tony must have mentioned her on occasion sometimes. „Tea would be nice, thanks."

„It's lovely to get to know one of Anthony's friends sometimes. Especially when it's such a beautiful being like you are. How long do you know each other?"

Ziva felt flattered by the compliment. There were not many people in her life who gave her compliments without requiring something in return or try concealing her by flatteries of their real plans. „Tony and I know each other for eight years now."

„How did you two meet?"

Flashback

"Hi, I was just …"

"Having phone sex?"

„Phone sex? No. Uhhh charades."

"Charades? Like, uhhh." She mimed something.

"You've played."

"Never on the telephone."

"Yeah, yeah, my partner and I were coming up with quotes for Saturday night."

"You play charades on Saturday night?"

"To kill time before I go clubbing; who are you?"

"Ziva David, Mossad."

End of Flashback

Ziva noticed that she had sunk into her memories and hadn't answered Lu's question yet. „It, err, was case related." she answered hurriedly and tripped almost over her own words. Tony poured the hot water in the cup for her tea. She saw his grin and suspected that he, like her, thought back to their first meeting. He amused himself a little bit too much over her hasty ramblings.

„So I understand correctly that you worked for another agency before your time at NCIS?"

„She has worked for Mossad, Lu. You can already recognize this by her driving." Tony smirked mischievously at her. It was a joke on her costs, but if it meant that he was treating her normally and that they could tease each other again, so be it. He'll be reminded early enough of their problems again. „Oh, please! My driving has improved during the last years."

„But it's still dangerous. I have you know that you are never driving my car. I don't want to lose a fourth car. My insurance would kill me."

„Then you should pay better attention to your cars."

„I do. That's the reason why I give you a Ziva-David-ban on driving my car. "

Ziva just rolled her eyes at him. Tony pushed the cup of tea to her and Ziva thanked him. Luisa used the momentary break in the conversation to think of other questions she wanted to ask; after all she didn't know when she gets another opportunity. Meanwhile she distributed the scrambled eggs on four plates which she and Jo carried to the dining table.

„Breakfast is ready." The four sat down at the table. Lu at the head of the table, on her left sat Jo and to her right Tony. Ziva sat next to Jo. „So, as a Mossad Officer, I suppose that you know a lot about weapons. Do you have other weapons beside your service weapon?"

„Lu!" replied Tony horrified. He cannot believe that she'd ask Ziva about her knowledge of weapons.

„What? I am curious. I have never got to know anybody from Mossad. I only heard stories once or twice."

„It is alright, Tony. It is not like this is a top secret information. " Ziva thought back to her first case with NCIS when Gibbs has asked for her weapons.

Flashback

"While you're here, you will be an observer. Hand over all your weapons."

"You are kidding, right?"

Gibbs just looked at her. Ziva removed here sidearm and gave it to him.

"And your back-up."

"What back-up?"

"Left leg."

"Oh. That one." She removed her ankle holster.

"And the knife concealed at your waist." Ziva removed annoyed the knife and handed it to him as well. Gibbs gave it back. "That, you can keep." Hey leaned in and whispered quietly in her ear. "I just wanted you to know that I know."

End of Flashback

Ziva grinned when she remembered that moment. This was typically Gibbs. „In the beginning, yes, but now I have only a spare weapon at home. In the field I also carry a knife."

„How many languages do you speak, actually?" asked Jo. She too, was curious about Ziva. Though her dad often told stories about the team, he mostly told them about daily things, never something personal.

Ziva smiled at Jo softly. „I speak ten languages, but not everyone fluently. However, it is enough not to be held as a tourist."

„Which languages?"

„Well, I speak English and Hebrew. Besides these two, I speak Spanish, Arabic, Turkish, French, Pashto, German, Italian and Russian. But because I speak so many languages, it can happen that I mess up some of the sayings sometimes. "

Tony snorted. „Sometimes?"

Flashback

"There's also someone here from social security to pick him up."

"`Services', Ziva. Social Security is for older people." says Gibbs.

"Are you going undercover as a homo?"

"Hobo. The term is hobo."

"I'm not getting any reception. How about you?" asked Tony.

"No, I'm braless." answers Ziva.

"I noticed that earlier. But on your phone they're 'bars'."

End of Flashback

"Okay, maybe a little bit more often than that, but it has become less."

„I have to agree with you on that one."

„It's good to know that Anthony can trust himself completely with his partner. I see rarely such a good partnership." It was incomprehensible how fast the mood could change from relaxed and calmly to tense and chilly. When Lu mentioned their partnership, it occurred to him what has happened between them. He has told Ziva that they should remain just colleagues. Colleagues were neutral and you could count on them completely with work related things. They didn't belong in your private life and now they were doing exactly this. They sat in his apartment, having breakfast with his daughter and his neighbor, who was like a mother to him, and revel in their memories. This was wrong and Tony swore internally at himself for allowing such a situation to happen.

Tony got up and took his plate to the kitchen. „I'll change and go to the bathroom. Then we can go to work. We don't want to miss the arrival of our new Team Manager." Team Manager. He already felt uncomfortable hearing that term. The last thing they needed was somebody looking closely on their fingers.

Ziva recognized immediately the moment in which the mood changed. She was not angry at Luisa for bringing up their partnership. She couldn't know that this was a sore point at the moment. Even if she was a little bit disappointed that they have arrived so fast again on the professional level, he was right. The new Team Manager arrives this morning and then they should rather not be late. Babysteps. The partnership with Tony has already survived a lot. With time, everything will straighten itself out again. "Okay".

The two arrived a little bit late at NCIS. They were stuck in a traffic jam on the way. Apparently a driver thought he could easily overtake the truck driving before him. According to the traffic jam, he wasn't that lucky. A empty cup of coffee was standing on Gibb's desk, but McGee's desk was still empty. Tony and Ziva started up their computers and were looking for any new results regarding to the case.

While Tony got changed and ready for work, Ziva has helped to clean the dishes. Even when Jo and Lu had insisted that she was a guest and shouldn't help with the cleaning, it was the least Ziva could do to thank for the breakfast. Besides, they have helped that she and Tony could treat each other carefree again. Even when it was just for a short time. While cleaning, the two women have asked a few more questions, however, these remained just on Ziva. After they noticed that the partnership between her and Tony wasn't such a good subject at the moment, they kept away from it. Just like yesterday, the drive to the NCIS was rather quiet.

Ziva was pulled from her thoughts when McGee hurried past her to his desk. „Sorry, I'm late. I got stuck in traffic on my way." He looked up nervously at his colleagues. „ I haven't missed the new Team Manager, have I?"

At that moment Gibbs came around the corner. „No, McGee. And if you'd have missed him, these two couldn't answer your question because they were late too. "

„Well, errr boss. We can verify that McGee's excuse is right. We were stuck in the same traffic jam." replied Tony and feared a headslap from Gibbs for being late. He relaxed when Gibbs took place on his chair.

„We?"

„Yes, my car wouldn't…." Tony started to explain to Gibbs why he and Ziva came in together, but was interrupted.

„I probably don't want to know. Start working, we still have to solve a murder."

„That can wait." Everybody looked surprised at Director Vance. None of them has noticed how he has approached the bullpen. „The new Team Manager would like to introduce himself."

„He is here already?" asked Gibbs.

Vance nodded his head up to where a man stood with his back to them and talked to somebody on the phone. „Arrived an hour ago."

„The first impression?"

„Determined and straight to the point. We'll have to deal with him a lot. He certainly won't approve as much as I would. Also I believe that if something should happen that he has no problems executing consequences. But if everything runs accordingly and he's content with the approach and the results of the team, I don't think that we have many problems with him."

„But there must be something foul. Parsons wouldn't have selected him if he didn't bring a disadvantage." said McGee.

Tony looked thoughtfully up to this mysterious man. McGee was right. Parsons has tried continuously to make their life a living hell. When he has bid his goodbye, Tony had the feeling that he wanted to hit the team one last time by bringing this new Team Manager to NCIS. A Team Manager who would approve most things certainly wasn't in Parsons mind.

He saw how the man hung up and put his mobile phone back in his trouser pocket. When he turned around and looked down to them, Tony froze. Suddenly he knew, why Parsons had selected him and in contrast to what Vance said about him, he already knew that the new Team Manager will definitely make their lives harder. The man stared at Tony with a dark glare and had a small sinister grin on the lips. It seemed as if he had exactly known that Tony would be on this team while Tony was completely surprised by his presence. He'd never have thought that he ever saw his face again and he certainly wished to never meet him again. At least not yet.

Tony's life became just incredibly harder. Parsons interest was fixed on him the whole time and now he has to furthermore fight and assert himself. Only this time it won't be just for a short time. No, the Team Manager won't disappear that fast again.

Tony answered his dark look with one of his own. He cannot grasp it yet. The new Team Manager was his ex-partner Tyson Cole.

So, the identity of the Team Manager is finally revealed. In the next chapter, you'll get to know why Tony doesn't like this new addition.

Until then, have fun celebrating the Holidays :)