A/N: Thank you guys so much for all the reviews I received within an hour of posting! So, as you wished, here is the second chapter to 'Freezer'. Enjoy. Also, I uploaded chapter one again as I found a few errors. Nothing that will change the plot/events, just spelling/grammar.

Ziva sat, curled up on her bed, reading in the soft yellow glow of her bed side lamp. After she had arrived home this evening, she had showered and changed into a singlet and lose track-pants, and decided to lie in bed and read until she fell asleep. However, that plan went down the drain when she found that she couldn't concentrate on her book. The conversation she and Tony shared in the freezer earlier that evening kept replaying in her mind.

'You are still the man that the team and I love.'… 'And yes, Tony, I do consider you to be in my life.'… 'I could not bear to lose you. I guess… I could not live without you.'

What had she done? She could not believe that she had let that out into the open. She practically poured her heart out to him, and she didn't even get to hear his reply.

What would he have said if they didn't get interrupted?

'Ziva, I-'

Ziva, I what? What was the end to that sentence? 'Ziva, I don't feel the same way about you.' 'Ziva, I don't want to talk about this right now.' 'Ziva, I don't love you.'

To tell you the truth, all of those felt like a kick in the stomach. Hearing any of those words from her partner would really make her question her judgement. And honestly, that last one was the worst. Listening to the man that you love tell you that he does not reciprocate those feelings. Well that, to her, was more painful than anything she had experienced. Physical pain could heal. Physical pain could be masked, or numbed by medication. But that type of pain, emotional pain; there isn't any drug in the world that could heal that. She could not imagine anything worse. And that's when she realised something. You're not supposed to feel this way about your partner; you're not supposed to feel this way about your friend. These emotions, what she was experiencing now, those were the emotions you feel towards a lover. And that's when it hit her; she loves Tony. Her colleague; her partner; her best friend. She loves him. Whenever he speaks, she listens. Wherever he walks, she follows. Whatever he does, she's there to help him.

'Well it seems to me, the person who got the job over you was just more… qualified.' She pushed herself off the interrogation wall and walked to the table in the middle of the room where Tony and their suspect sat. She was shocked at how narrow minded this man was.

'Here we go. Typical feminazi blindly defending her own.' She was finding it hard to hold back her anger and disgust over this man.

'Excuse me?' She leant both hands on the table.

'You heard me.'

Tony pipped up from next to her. 'You may not have noticed, pal, but that's not a swastika hanging around my partner's neck.'

'Wow, talk about déjà vu. I mean it's like the same interview. Right down to the whipped boyfriend.'

'Whipped?' Tony looked slightly confused at this statement.

'Boyfriend?'

'Yeah. The lovesick puppy that's always hanging over Midge and her every word. Oh yeah, she had that guy wrapped up big time.' They both shared a glance with each other before they continued the interview.

Did their suspect, Craig Wilson, actually mean what he had said? That Tony was like a lovesick puppy, hanging off her every word?

Her thoughts were interrupted by someone knocking on her door, so she folded the corner of her page and closed her book, leaving it on her bedside table as she made her way to the front door. She checked the peephole to find Tony standing on the other side, wearing the same suit as earlier, minus his jacket. She looked back over her shoulder to see it slung over the back of her sofa, so she made a mental note to make sure he took it with him when he left. She opened the door and stepped aside, allowing him to enter.

"Would you like a drink, Tony?" She walked into the kitchen and grabbed two glasses.

"Sure, water is fine." She poured the two glasses of water and looked up to see him on the other side of the counter, his hair slightly messy and a thin layer of stubble covering his jaw. She refilled the bottle and placed it back in the fridge, handing him his glass as they sat side by side on the sofa.

"What you said to me today, in the freezer… did you mean it?" She watched his hands as he drew tiny patterns in the condensation of the glass. He was nervous; unsure.

Just tell the truth she thought. There was no point in denying what she had said earlier; that would just lead to an argument. And she did not want to, nor would she ever, betray his trust. They had known each other for so long; they had worked together for so long; they had been friends for so long. And lying to him would destroy that; it would destroy them. So she chose to continue with the truth.

"Of course I did, Tony. I would never lie to you." She looked over to meet his gaze and saw the corner of his mouth twitch. He smiled.

"I know you wouldn't, Zi. I just… thought you were trying to make me feel better." His eyes met hers, and she saw the insecurity evident within his beautifully hazel-green orbs. She never thought she'd see Tony like this. He was a DiNozzo, after all. He was known for his witty charm, good looks, and confidence with women. But here, now, she was seeing a more toned down, mature DiNozzo. And she liked it. It demonstrated that he wasn't just a good looking man with humour and charm. No, he was much more than that.

"Lying to you would not make you feel any better." She reached over and squeezed his forearm in reassurance. He placed his hand atop hers and squeezed back.

They sat there in silence, staring into each other's eyes. Then Ziva spoke the question that had been bugging her ever since they left the freezer.

"Earlier today, what were you going to say before we were interrupted by Gibbs and McGee?" She searched his eyes for a hint as to what his answer would be.

"I… I don't know." He hesitated and looked back to his glass that was now on the table, the condensation dripping onto the clear glass table top. "No… Sorry. I did, well… I do know what to say, but I just… can't find the right words to say it." He took his hand from hers and rubbed it over his face and through his hair in frustration. "It's… frustrating."

She studied him; his head in his hands, each elbow resting on their respective knee. He looked tired, defeated, like he had been over thinking what he wanted to say.

"It is okay, Tony." She placed a hand on his back and rubbed a soothing pattern in an attempt to calm him down. She felt him take in a long, deep breath as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"No, it's-" her hand dropped down from his back as he stood abruptly, "I'm sorry, Ziva. I'll go." He ran his hand though his hair and stepped past the sofa towards the door.

"Tony." She kept her voice soft, but he did not stop. "Tony." She tried to keep her voice as gentle as possible, but couldn't help the slight annoyance that was evident in her tone. He stopped and turned to her, his defeated gaze lifting from the floor to her mahogany orbs. She took a step towards him, her arm outstretched with his jacket in her hand.

"Here, I forgot to give it back to you before I left." She smiled softly, trying to reassure him that she wasn't angry with him. He took a step closer to her and relieved her of the jacket.

"Thanks." She felt his lightly calloused hand take hers and squeeze gently, so she returned the gesture.

"You will find a way to say it eventually." They walked to the door together; sides bumping with every step they took. She reached forwards and opened the door for him.

"Take care, Zi."

She lifted her hand to his cheek, gently brushing her thumb across it. "You too, Tony." She dropped her hand and stepped back as he turned and made his way down the hallway.

A/N: Well… this was rushed, but I feel okay with it. There will be more chapters, so there is no need to panic just yet. There will be a fantastic make out scene… because I know how much we all want that to happen. I just have to find the right time to do it… and I have a pretty good idea as to when that will be. Hang in there! Oh, and if my next update(s) is after the next episode (10x03 'Phoenix') I may include aspects of Tiva/cases to aid in making this seem more realistic. Thanks for sticking around!

- Evie.