"Agent David, Agent DiNozzo," a voice brings him back to reality.
The thirty-something woman looks at them. She is attractive, but Tony doesn't look twice. He simply vacates his seat, and follows Ziva into her office. They take seats on the couch, and wait for her to begin.
"I am Doctor Brice. What the brings the two of you here?"
"It is punishment," Tony answers.
"Our director set this up," Ziva clarifies.
"The two of you are partners?"
"Yes," Tony confirms.
"It isn't entirely uncommon for partners to be sent to counseling together."
"That isn't why we're here," Tony admits.
"Why are you here?"
"Ziva and I have been partners for nearly five and a half years."
"So the two of you know each other pretty well?"
"Yes."
"The two of you get along?"
"We bicker," Ziva responds.
"Why do you think your director sent you here?"
"You don't know?" Tony wonders.
"Nope. I owe your director a favor. He wanted me to fit the two of you into my schedule, he didn't tell me much about you."
"The reason that we are here is because the director found out that we used to be married," Tony reveals.
"To?"
"Each other," Ziva clarifies.
"Oh. I see."
"It was a long time ago," Ziva adds.
"He thinks that the two of you have a personal connection that is affecting your work?"
"It's hard to say," Tony replies.
"How long ago were you married?"
"We got married eight years ago," Ziva answers.
"January 21st, 2003."
"And why did the two of you get married? You were in love?"
"Yes," Ziva nods. Tony looks at her in surprise. She adds, "But that was only part of it. It was what you would call a shotgun wedding."
"You were pregnant? The two of you have a child?"
"It is rather complicated," Ziva remarks.
"How long were the two of you married?"
Ziva thinks back, "I filed the divorce papers on, July 12th, 2003," she recalls.
"You weren't even married for six months? What happened?"
"We didn't really know each other that well. We met, and..."
"It was not supposed to be anything more than a one night stand," Ziva replies bluntly.
"But she got pregnant. I never would have even known."
"What do you mean?" Dr. Brice asks out of curiosity.
"She went back to Israel."
"But you chose to tell him anyway, why?"
"I thought that he should know."
"And you accepted his marriage proposal?"
"Yes," she nods.
"Why?"
"I guess... I loved him."
"So what happened? You stopped loving him?" Dr. Brice wonders.
"A couple of weeks after our daughter was born I went back to Israel. I was supposed to be there for a few weeks, and then go back."
"Something changed those plans?"
She looks at the coffee table, "Everything changed."
"Everything?"
Tony looks at the therapist, "I woke up to feed her, and she had stopped breathing. She came back, and..."
"I left."
"You left?"
"I couldn't stay. I didn't want to have to be reminded of what happened, every day."
"So you filed for divorce?" Dr. Brice clarifies.
"Yes."
"And how did your director find out?"
"It started with a Marine who killed a doctor. A doctor who he thought was responsible for taking his infant son from him," Tony begins.
"Taken how?"
"The doctor faked the baby's death. No one would have ever known, but his wife saw their baby."
"I don't understand," Dr. Brice admits.
"It turns out that the man the marine killed had been faking the deaths of babies for ten years."
"So his son was alive?"
"Yes," Ziva confirms.
"And how does this relate to how the director found out about the two of you being married, once?"
"Because our daughter was one of those babies."
"After all that time, of believing that your daughter was dead, you found out that she was alive?"
"Yes."
"Where is she now?"
"At NCIS. She didn't want to come with us," Tony answers.
"Agent David, how did you end up at NCIS?"
"My brother."
"Your brother works there?"
"No my brother killed an NCIS agent."
"We had an opening, and the former director suggested Ziva."
"Why did you agree? Knowing that you would have to work with your ex-husband, and the father of your child? Didn't you think that it would bring up painful memories?"
"I...um," Ziva stammers, "It is complicated."
"Try to explain it," Dr. Brice coaxes.
"In my life there has been a lot of upheaval. I guess that I came back because... it is the only place that has ever felt like home."