A/N: Thank you for all the alerts and the reviews. I appreciate each one of them. This is a short chapter so I thought I'd get it out there tonight.

Three Little Words

Chapter 3

Jethro sat in his truck for a long time before starting it up and heading home. He wondered if Allison would be there. He knew she had every right to be upset with him and he was ready to make amends if he could. If she asked where he had been, Jethro knew he'd have to tell her; he wouldn't lie to her so he hoped she didn't ask. When he pulled in his driveway the house was dark and Allison's car was gone. He backed out and drove to her apartment.

On the twenty minute drive to Allison's apartment, Jethro replayed all that Ziva had told him. He had to acknowledge she was right about everything, as usual. He had to admit she was right about Allison; she is a good person and he has been happy with her. When they first met he could hardly stand her but there was something about the way she looked at him that intrigued him. The fact she was working for such scum as Col. Bell had definitely set Jethro against her but of course she didn't work for Col. Bell anymore. Ever since that fiasco ended Allison had been working almost exclusively to help women and children who were victims of domestic violence or child abuse. She had transferred the considerable passion she had originally directed at destroying him to her new clients and Jethro was very proud of the work she did. And, very glad she was now on his side. At least she had been until about two hours ago.

Looking at his watch, Jethro realized it was almost midnight. He had been with Ziva longer than he thought but certainly not long enough. How he would manage the next several months was a mystery to him but he knew he would have to suck it up and ignore the ache in his gut if he was going to keep his promises to her. Jethro had learned a long time ago that when you love someone that person has a power over you that is immeasurable. Ziva had the power to elicit a promise from him to let her go and be happy with someone else. He wanted to live up her expectations of him so he would try to make a good life with Allison. He would pray every day that Ziva would be happy and find someone to love her.

Arriving at Allison's apartment complex a short time later, Jethro wondered if she would let him in or send him home. He wouldn't blame her if she shut the door in his face but he hoped she would at least give him a chance to talk to her. He took the stairs to the second floor and pushed the doorbell.

Allison had been home long enough to unpack her suitcase and start her laundry. She purposely kept herself busy with mundane tasks so she wouldn't spend all her time wondering where Jethro was and who he was with. She knew he had gone to talk to someone; probably either Ducky or Ziva. Jethro had few friends and Allison knew his team was his family. She doubted he would confide their situation to any of them except Ducky or Ziva. Of course she had no issue with him taking to Ducky but the idea of him going to Ziva was a different matter. She knew they had a special bond and a long history and she had often wondered if there was more to their relationship than just work. She couldn't blame them if there was. After all they were very much alike in terms of attitude, both attractive people and they worked together in a very stressful job. No, Allison would not be a bit surprised if Jethro had gone to Ziva tonight.

While she would not be surprised to know where he had been, Allison had no intention of asking him. She reasoned, while soaking in a hot bubble bath, that if Jethro had gone to Ziva he most likely would not want her to know. If there was something between them outside of work he would not want her to know that either. She had a hard time believing Jethro was cheating on her; in fact she doubted he was. Allison knew Jethro would not lie to her so to protect herself and him as well, she just wouldn't ask. She wondered for a while what it had been that Jethro had wanted to talk to her about earlier. She thought he had been unreasonably upset by her news. The thought crossed her mind that he was going to break up with her. If so and if that is what he wanted she would accommodate him. Allison knew she was in love with Jethro but she was smart enough to know he was not really in love with her. They enjoyed each other, got along very well and rarely had any serious disagreements. They had survived a very rocky beginning and now, she thought they would see if they could survive this very unexpected development in their relationship.

Having a baby was not something Allison had planned of course and if she was honest about it she was terrified by the thought. She knew Jethro loved children and had a way with them but she had little experience in the baby or kid department. She had always expected to have a husband and children but her career had taken her down a different path and that idea had slowly faded into the background. Now it was certainly front and center. The idea of being a single parent had almost zero appeal for her but if Jethro was not going to be around she knew she'd have to figure things out for herself. It was all up to him at this point. Allison hoped with all her heart they could work things out and be together but she wanted to be strong enough to let Jethro go if he didn't truly want to be with her.

Hearing the doorbell, Allison looked through the peephole and saw Jethro standing in the hallway looking a bit worse for the wear. He looked up at the door and she saw how tired he was. Taking a deep breath, Allison opened the door.

"Hey."

Jethro wondered if he looked as tired as he suddenly felt. From the look on Allison's face he figured he didn't look too good. She smiled a very tiny smile at him and stepped back opening the door for him.

"Hey yourself."

"Ali, I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want me here but I'd like to talk if you feel like it."

"Come on in. You look exhausted Jethro come in and sit down. Do you want coffee or a drink?"

"No thanks."

Jethro made his way to the sofa and sat down. He watched as Allison turned off the television and sat down on the end of the sofa. She tucked one leg under and sat facing him.

"I'm sorry I left you earlier. I needed to think and I didn't …"

"It's okay. Did you find what you needed?"

Allison deliberately avoided asking him where he'd gone because she didn't really want to know and since she knew Jethro wouldn't lie, she didn't ask.

"Yeah. I want you to know I want to be a father to our child."

"Well, you are the father Jethro, there's no doubt about that."

"No I mean I want to be a dad. I want to be here with you and our child. I want us to be a family, Ali."

"Jethro I don't want you to stay with me out of some sense of responsibility or guilt or whatever. We never talked about the future and we certainly never talked about having a child. I will accept it if you don't want this."

"But I do have a responsibility to you and to our child. I can't just walk away and pretend I don't."

"If that is the only reason you're here I don't want you with me. I don't want to wake up some day with a man who resents me and our child for tying him down to a family he didn't want."

"Allison that would not happen. Look, I know we never talked about the future and kids and all that but that doesn't mean we can't talk about it now. You're not tying me down. I'm with you because I like how we are together. I'm happy with you and I want us to stay together. I won't lie and say I wasn't surprised by this baby but that doesn't mean I don't want him. Or her."

"What would you have said last month if I'd asked you if you wanted to have a child together?"

"What difference does that make now? We have a child together. Maybe….obviously we didn't plan this but here we are. Wait. Do you want me to stay? Are you trying to tell me you don't want us to work this out and be a family?'

"No! Of course I'm not saying that."

Allison got up and began walking back and forth behind the sofa. Jethro closed his eyes and sighed. Maybe he had been worried about the wrong things. Maybe Allison was the one who didn't want a family. Then the thought struck him that maybe she didn't want the baby. He hadn't really given her a chance to say anything since she dropped the bomb on him and he walked out. What if she…?"

Jethro, suddenly energized with panic, got up and stepped in front of Allison stopping her in her tracks. He put his hands carefully on her shoulders and looked her in the eye.

"Ali, do you want this baby?"

Allison saw the panic on his face and knew for the first time that he truly did want this child.

"Yes. Yes, Jethro I do. I admit the first few days I was panicked and I thought, very briefly, about getting…about not keeping it and never telling you but then I realized I like the idea of having your child. I like it very much."

She saw the relief pass through him and when he pulled her in close she wrapped her arms around him and felt that safety that she always felt in Jethro's arms.

"I'm glad. You know, I think I'd like that drink now."

Allison poured him two fingers of bourbon and got herself a bottle of water. Jethro pulled her down on the couch next to him and she leaned into his side resting her head on his shoulder. Jethro sipped his drink and finally felt the tension of the past few hours seeping away. The emotional roller coaster he had been on took its toll and by the time his bourbon was gone so was he.

Listening to Jethro's deep breathing, Allison knew he was asleep. Again she wondered about where he'd been earlier and knew in her heart he had gone to Ziva. Whatever had happened between those two she knew it wouldn't be an issue between her and Jethro. She trusted him explicitly and knew once he committed to her and their child he would be true to them. Semper Fi was not just a slogan to Jethro; it was a way of life.

TBC