Disclaimer: This scene belongs to CBS. It is just my take on it. I claim no ownership to the dialogue, setting, etc. of this scene.
Ziva's hair is in a messy bun, and her eyes are puffy and red. Other than finding her, dirty and bruised, in Somalia, Tony has never seen her look so disheveled.
They stand in the elevator, silent except for her sniffing. He fixes his eyes on the ceiling, trying to give the impression that he has not noticed her emotional state. Of course, he is painfully aware of it, but they always pretend that he isn't.
"There is always another monster." Ziva breaks the silence, dropping her hand from her eyes.
"Yep." A spider scuttles across the top of the elevator wall. Tony watches it latch onto a web in the corner.
"I mean, we pursue them, but we just… keep making targets of ourselves."
Surprised that she is actually opening up a little, he allows himself to look at her. Ziva's eyes are on the floor, but he replies to her anyway. "Better us than someone who didn't sign up for it."
By "us", he means Mike Franks. Mike had chosen this business, and he knew the risks it involved. He, Tony, had held the same knowledge, and had made the same decision. But too late, he realizes that Ziva did not choose this. She had chosen NCIS, but not Mossad and all the pain that organization had caused her.
She looks up. Their eyes meet for the first time since stepping into the elevator. "I don't think I can take anymore."
For once, Ziva's words are completely honest and open, and Tony can see the anguish in her eyes. This latest trial has pushed her over the edge; everything has built up so much that it is now impossible to contain. This isn't just about Mike. This is about Ari, and Michael, and Somalia, and her father.
For the first time in six years, Tony holds out his left arm, offering her a hug. She doesn't even hesitate before stepping into his arms and resting her head in the crook of his neck. They stand so close their knees touch, and Tony finds himself drawing comfort from the hug as well.
One of Ziva's warm tears slide down his neck, and he decides he needs to say something. He needs to try to reassure her as best he can, even if it won't fix anything from her past, even if it won't take away Mike's death.
"Hey." He gently pushes her back, and she looks at him, waiting. It takes him a moment to figure out what he wants to say, but then he just settles on something simple: "We're gonna get him. Okay?"
Tony takes his hand from her waist and lays the back of it on her cheek. Her skin is soft, like he'd always imagined but never had the opportunity to actually know. He flattens his hand against the side of her face and strokes her hair. It, too, is soft, something he did know, from the times he had leaned over her shoulder and subtly put his cheek against her curls.
As his hand slips off of her face and falls back to his side, Ziva allows a tiny smile onto her face. It is tiny, microscopic, but it's there and it's soft. That's when Tony knows that like her hair and the skin of her face, she, too, is soft inside.
It's just a matter of getting through the tough outside to see it.
I'm actually kind of pleased with this. Hope you enjoyed. Review?