Sliding the silver key into the lock, Tony turned the small key to the right, the sound of bolts unlocking confirming that he and Ziva could now enter his apartment. Replacing the set of keys into his the pocket of his pants, Tony twisted the door knob to the side and, sure enough, the front door to his apartment opened. With a charming smile dancing over his lips, Tony stepped aside, allowing Ziva to step inside first, "After you,"

Ziva flashed a quick smile, the remains of a chuckle slipping past her lips, "Such a gentleman,"

As Tony himself stepped into his humble abode, he kicked the door shut behind him as he hung his black jacket up on the hooks which were nailed to the wall in three's beside the door, "Why of course." He clapped his hands together, rubbing his palms as he strode through the hallway, "Now, I don't know about you, but I'm starving. What you say I get dinner going and we can talk over dinner?"

With a warm glow in her dark brown eyes, Ziva gave a soft nod, "That sounds great. And, may I ask what we are eating this evening?"

A cheeky grin crossed Tony's lips before his lightly planted a kiss on her forehead, "You will just have to wait and see, Zi," He shot a quick wink her way before turning on his heel, heading into the kitchen behind them. With all the work surfaces already clean and ready for food to be prepared on, it took Tony no time to retrieve the ingredients he needed for the recipe he had memorised in his mind. He'd cooked this dish what felt like a million times; simple but damn tasty.

With tomatoes, onions, pasta and chives laid out on the granite worktop, Tony soon set his Italian assets to work and, in the kitchen, was where they came alive. Effortlessly chopping the vegetables, he scooped up the pieces in the palms of his hands, dropping them into the hot pan over the stove.

Leaning in the door way, Ziva observed him dancing around the kitchen, putting his culinary skills into action. It was rare for anybody to see this side to Anthony DiNozzo and it was definitely a contrast to his usual college-boy attitude to life. She had to admit, seeing him like this was certainly something she could get used to. Stepping into the kitchen, she peered into the saucepan on the stove, "What's this then?"

"Can't you sit still for five minutes?" Tony joked, chuckling softly as he reached down two plates from the cupboard above him, setting them down on the work surface.

Ziva shrugged innocently, an easy smile slipping across her lips, "What can I say? Must be the hormones and besides, this little baby is desperate to have some food,"

As he stepped over to the stove, Tony lightly pressed a kiss to her cheek, "Go and sit down, I'm just about to serve up." Dishing up some cooked penne pasta and homemade tomato sauce on to each plate, Tony carried them both over to the dining table, placing them down, "Here we go. Parmesan pasta with a homemade tomato and onion sauce,"

Ziva smiled gratefully, admiring the plate of food which had been placed in front of her, "Wow, Tony, this looks great. I never knew you were so skilled in the kitchen,"

"There's plenty more to discover about me, Zi," Taking a seat opposite his partner, he tucked his chair in underneath him, picking up his fork as the two began to eat. Tony knew full well which topic was on both of their minds; it was just a question of how to bring it up. It was usually one of the most joyous topics for couples, but when their situation was incorporated it became a little more complicated. After having a forkful of food, Tony sat back a little in his chair, letting out a slow breath, "Guess we should talk about the elephant in the room, hm?"

A slight confused look slipped over the Israeli's features, "Elephant?"

Tony laughed softly, "The baby, Zi. This whole situation," Running his fingers through his short, brown hair, Tony allowed his gaze to meet with hers, "I really hate to ask this, Zi, but…do you want to keep the baby?"

In reply, Ziva gave a gentle nod, "Yes. I know that this was completely unexpected and unplanned, but I hope that it can work. We are both responsible adults and I am confident we can make it through this,"

Tony couldn't deny the smile which crossed his lips, hearing her words. He had always had a slight, tiny worry that parenthood just wasn't going to be an option in this kind of situation but Ziva was right; they were both responsible and they were more than capable of making the best out of the circumstances. " I know we can get through it, and, if you don't want to, there doesn't have to be a relationship attached to it. No matter what happens, I'll be with you every step of the way. It can be the middle of the night or day, I'll always be there for support. Every mood swing, doctors appointment, weird food craving, everything."

"What about our work?" Ziva asked. It was possibly one of the biggest hurdles the two of them would have to cross, mainly because it was so unpredictable and bringing a child into that kind of complex equation. "How are we going to tell Gibbs and the team?"

Honestly, Tony hadn't even given that a thought but it was one which had to be considered carefully, "Don't worry about that, I'll sort something out. I don't even know how many rules we've broken, but they can't exactly do anything drastic. I'll deal with Gibbs and Vance and all the rest, you just concentrate on keeping yourself and our baby well, alright?"

A small chuckle slipped past Ziva's lips, "We're really going to be parents,"

"We're going to have a baby." Those words meant the world to the both of them. It was a place the two never thought they'd be, and yet they were in it together. It still seemed almost unreal. They had so many hurdles to overcome, and consequences to face, but it'd only make their relationship stronger. Perhaps the surprise of it all would make their bond, as a family, even stronger than if it had been planned. Standing, Tony rounded the corner of the dining table, crouching down so his eyes were level with Ziva's gorgeous brown orbs, "This is a promise to you now, Zi. I promise that I will support you and our baby, through absolutely everything, and I swear to do whatever is in my power to protect you guys. You two are the most important people in my life,"

Smiling softly, Ziva lightly kissed his lips, her hand resting on his cheek, "Thank you. Really, you have no idea how much that means to me,"

Tony smiled warmly, his eyes glowing with excitement as he rested his hand on her still flat stomach, "Hey little DiNozzo," He whispered quietly, "Hope you enjoyed your first Italian meal. There's more where that came from," Sweetly, he placed a kiss over Ziva's stomach before turning his gaze up to meet with hers, his lips rising to soon meet with Ziva's, capturing the two of them in a soft, gentle kiss. The emotions rushing through his body were indescribable; it felt like his heart had swelled with joy and, quite honestly, these were some consequences neither of them would ever regret.