I was repeatedly told that my story has a lot of Angst in it and I'm sorry if that isn't exactly what you want to read, but it is what it is. And it will continue to have Angst in it and at the end of this chapter is another cliffhanger, but it will become a little less Angst in the next chapters. Anyway I changed the genre of my story, so that nobody gets confused.

Furthermore, I'd like to thank everyone for the lovely response.

Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS.

Chapter 12

Ziva opened the door to the little café a block away from the Navy Yard. She arranged a meeting with Adam around lunch time. Ziva wanted to finally clarify things between them and making it clear that a relationship wouldn't work out. Especially not yet when it looked like things between Tony and her were finally starting to get better again.

Ziva saw Adam sitting at one of the tables in the back of the café. The café was organized quite simple. On the left side was the counter at which the orders were taken and served and the tables for the customers are on the right. Of course some of the customers could also sit at the counter. The walls were painted in a soft red and the seat cushions were in a darker red.

Ziva felt comfortable. She liked to go to this café and the employees welcomed her always with a smile when she entered the café. It was an old family business. The daughter of the founders was the boss at the moment, the son of the founders was working in the kitchen and conjured fantastic meals and the grandchildren were working as waiter now and then. Otherwise there were five employees who didn't belong to the founder family.

She approached the table Adam was sitting at and Adam, who just noticed her arrival, got up to greet her. She had to give him that, he really was a gentleman. Adam reached for her hand and bended towards her to give her a kiss, but Ziva was quicker and turned away so that he only gave her a kiss on her cheek. He frowned when he noticed the defense motion of Ziva. „Hey, is everything alright?"

„Adam, we need to talk." She pulled her hand from his and sat down opposite of Adam at the table. She waited with the conversation till Adam was seated too. „This thing going on between us is not going to work, Adam."

„What do you mean? I thought, we agreed that we try a relationship."

„You may have agreed, but not me." How could she make Adam understand that nothing could work out between them, without hurting him too much? Adam was one of the few people who were still open with their feelings despite their job. She didn't want to destroy that. „Adam, the night in Tel Aviv, it was a one night stand. Nothing more. I needed a distraction from all the things going on in my life at that moment and you were ready to give it to me. The second night we slept together should never have happened. I was angry and I concentrated this anger on you. I used you and I am so sorry for that."

„Are you in a relationship with someone?"

„No." she replied hesitantly. She didn't know what he intended with his question.

„Then why don't you use me furthermore? Who knows, maybe it could become a relationship though."

Ziva was shocked about his answer. He seemed that he didn't want to understand that she has no interest in a relationship with him. „Adam, I am not only not interested in a relationship with you but also not in an affair."

Adam got up, took his jacket and he bended down to her to whisper something in her ear. „I'm out of city for the next five days. Take the time to think about it again. You know where you can find me." Then he turned his head a little bit and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He left the café without any further words.

Well, that meeting definitely didn't work out as I planned.

Tony was the only one who decided to work through his lunch break. He planned to go home on time because he promised Jo that they would make a movie marathon tonight. That meant that they would have to watch at least three movies and it was a tradition they have invented years ago. While they were watching movies, they would have pizza for dinner and after that they would make popcorn. Jo planned to prepare their evening when she came home from school. So that Tony wouldn't be seen as a bad dad, they made a deal at the start of this tradition. If they would have a movie marathon and it wasn't on school holidays or on weekends, the movies had to be chosen in a way that would guarantee that Jo would be in bed at around half past ten. Tony grinned; he couldn't wait for the evening to start.

He looked around the bullpen. He was alone at the moment. Ziva went to lunch twenty minutes ago and McGee went down to Abby. If he understood it correctly, the two of them were dueling each other in a video game. As usual, Gibbs disappeared around lunch break, but Tony was sure that as soon as he would say or do something stupid, he'd be around to give him a head slap. He didn't care, he got used to it.

Tony looked over his shoulder up to the offices. He hadn't seen Cole all day and that made him uneasy. Who knew what Cole planned right now? He'd prefer it, if he could have an eye on him.

„Everything alright, Tony?"

Tony startled. He didn't notice Ziva arriving at the bullpen. He should pay better attention to his surroundings, especially when he didn't know what Cole was up to„Back so soon? I thought you'd be gone a little longer. It sure sounded like you would be gone for a while when you left for your break."

Ziva hung her jacket on the back of her chair and sat down. „It did not go like I planned."

Now Tony was confused. Had she been on a date? „What do you mean it didn't go like you planned it?"

With that, Ziva's mental alarm bells started to ring. It would probably not be a good idea to tell Tony about her meeting with Adam. Though they were on the way to get better again, she didn't want to be to blame if they'd hit another low. Although Tony said that it had nothing to do with Adam, she knew that it had hurt him. „The café I like to go to was closed because of sick leave today."

„That meant your walk to the café was in vain…"

„Exactly." Saved in the last minute„What about you?Do you always look over your shoulder up to the floor above when nobody is in the bullpen?" she said teasingly to Tony.

„Haha, really funny. It just occurred to me that we haven't seen our dear Team Manager today. I wonder what he's up to."

„Are you missing him already? Do I have to worry as your partner?" It was obvious that Ziva was in the mood to tease her partner.

„Certainly not!"

„I hope you're working at least on the case if you feel the need to spend your lunch break at work." Ziva and Tony flinched. They didn't notice Gibbs coming into the bullpen.

„Sure, boss. I'm currently waiting on the test results of the traces Abby found on the clothes of the victim."

„And I'm on my way to question the Fallon family." replied Ziva.

„Good. Take DiNozzo with you. McGee can work on the test results since our Elf Lord's already down with Abby." Gibbs took the coffee standing on his desk and jolted it a bit. Seemed to be empty because he threw the cup in the garbage can. „Has Hayes talked yet?"

„He doesn't talk a lot. He only requested his lawyer. The only thing he told us was that he isn't the one we searching for."

„Does he even know why he's here, except that he shot at two federal agents?"

„Yes, but he already denied everything before he was informed about it." replied Tony.

„That means either he did something illegal and thought we caught him or he knows something."

„My guess is on the latter." expressed Ziva her opinion.

„I think so, too. Notify us if you get something useful from the victim's family." He took his jacket and made his way out of the bullpen. „I'm going to get coffee."

Tony looked again to Ziva. „Just to be clear, I'm driving."

Ziva got out of the car. The drive was longer than she thought, but they finally arrived at the Fallon's home. „If you had let me drive, we would have arrived earlier."

„We have to be alive to actually question the family, Ziva. Even if your driving has improved, I still have to repress the urge to kiss the ground every time when I get out of the car."

Ziva rolled her eyes as they walked to the front door. „Everyone left my car alive till now." She gently knocked thrice on the front door.

„There's a first for everything and this is a first I don't want to experience."

The door opened and a woman in her mid fifties was standing in front of them. She had blonde hair which went down to her shoulders. She's about the same height as Ziva and has an elegant body figure. Her eyes which probably would have an ordinarily gleam to the green were mat and you could easily notice that she has cried. No wonder, considering that she just lost her son.

„Mrs. Fallon?"

„Yes." said Mrs. Fallon hesitantly.

Ziva showed Mrs. Fallon her ID. „I'm Special Agent David and this is my partner Agent DiNozzo. We talked on the phone this morning."

„Oh right, sure. Please, come in." Both Agents followed Mrs. Fallon through the hall, in which were standing a wardroom for the jackets and a shoe cabinet, to a big and open living room. A stove was in the left corner beside the door, which kept the room without doubt snugly warm in winter. Straight ahead was a big, brown sofa which was put in a position that you have a perfect view on the television and on the right side were big book shelves which were filled with all kinds of books. The room was lighten by the big window on the left side and made the room look friendly and comfortable.

„Please, take a seat. Would you like something to drink?"

„No, but thank you. We don't want to bother you for long." answered Tony. Mrs. Fallon sat down on the armchair next to the sofa. „We would like to give our condolences. This is a tough situation for you."

„I don't think it's easy for anyone to bury your own child."

„Of course not. Do you know if your son had any problems? Maybe someone who he had a clinch with?"

Mrs. Fallon pondered for a moment before she shook her head. „No, William has never brought his problems home to us. He was a peaceful person and I know no one who'd have a clinch with him."

„Do you know this man?" Ziva showed a picture of Malcolm Hayes.

„No. Why? Is he the man who has killed my son?"

„There's nothing definite yet. The investigation is still ongoing and we're yet to get some results."

„I've never seen this man before."

„His name is Malcom Hayes. Has your son ever mention this name sometime?" asked Tony.

Again, Mrs. Fallon shook her head. „No, sorry. I really would like to help, but…"

„It is alright. We understand that these are hard times for you and your family." Ziva gave Mrs. Fallon her business card with her contact data on it. „Here, if something should occur to you, do not hesitate to contact me. We also will leave the picture of Malcom Hayes here. Maybe your husband recognizes him."

„I'll ask him as soon as he gets home. He's with a friend of him. He takes the death of William really hard."

Tony and Ziva bid their farewell and made their way back to NCIS. They had hoped to get some new insights from the family, but luck wasn't with them.

When Tony and Ziva entered the bullpen, Gibbs and McGee were standing in front of the plasma screen. They put down their things and joined their colleagues.

Gibbs turned to them. „Any news?"

„No, Mrs. Fallon couldn't help us. Fallon held his problems apparently rather private. She also has never seen Hayes before and he was never mentioned by her son." Tony looked at the screen. „Are these the test results from Abby?"

„Yes, though Abby could determine some substances on the clothes of Fallon, but as for now, we only know that it's some kind of drug. However, Ducky found some skin particle under the fingernails of our victim. Fallon must have defended himself against his attacker. Now we only have to find the one who the skin particle is from."

„Have already tested Hayes?"

„Yes, although I thought it would be a little bit difficult getting him to agree to the test, he was unexpectedly cooperative. He really wants to proof that he isn't Fallon's murderer."

„And?" asked Ziva.

„It was negative. Exceptionally he hasn't lied to us. He's not our killer."

„Damn, it could've been so easy." grumbled Tony who flinched when Gibbs glared at him. He could feel the head slap mentally.

„Just because Hayes' not our murderer doesn't mean he knows nothing." remarked Gibbs.

McGee looked around contemplatively. „Hey, have anyone seen Team Manager Cole today? I thought he'd be with us immediacy to discipline us, because you were questioning the victim's family without telling him."

„No, I haven't seen him, but I have to say that it's really quiet around him." replied Tony. Tony's cell started to ring and he saw his daughter's ID on the screen. He executed to the team for the interruption and accepted the phone call with a smile.

„Hello, my beautiful angle. How are the preparations going?" The team couldn't hear what Amelia said but she seemed to have interrupted her dad.

„Wait, hold on. Please, once more and a little bit more slowly. I couldn't understand you acoustically." Suddenly the grin on Tony's lips vanished and he became slightly pale. Whatever Amelia told him, it seemed very serious. „Jo, go to Lu immediately and stay there. Don't touch anything! I'm on my way."

Tony ended the phone call and rounded his desk to get his things. Gibbs was the first to recognize the seriousness of the situation. „What happened, DiNozzo?"

He looked horrified to Gibbs. „Someone broke in our apartment and destroyed everything."

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