Disclaimer: See Chapter One
Author's Note: Thank you guys for all you're kind reviews. I'm getting near the end of this, just one more chapter to write...But keep up the awesome reviews!
"Katie?" he called out when he woke up to find her gone. He saw the light from the bathroom on adn got out of bed. "Kate?" He found her kneeling next to the toilet, her hair tied in a loose ponytail. He stepped over to her, and placed a hand on her back. Moments later, she stood up and brushed her teeth.
"And it starts." she muttered.
He kissed her forehead and pulled her to him. She rested her head against his warm chest and closed her eyes.
"Let me take you back to bed." he said to her, sweeping her up in his arms.
It had been a month since Kate moved her things back to the house. She and Jethro were once again close, if not closer than before. They talked now, instead of argued, her pregnancy was the topic of conversation mostly.
As he was with their son, Jethro was entralled with Kate's changing form, not that it had changed much since she was still in the first trimester though. Kate was glad to be home and not fighting with her husband, the dark days were behind them now, although Alison still hadn't made the connection yet. Jethro had told Kate that when she was ready to talk, he'd be there for her, but he didn't want to push her.
"Stay with me." Kate said as she cuddled back down in the bed. He slipped in beside her and pulled her to him. "Mmm, this is nice." she murmured, a contented sigh escaping her lips. He didn't reply. She looked at him, her eyes full of concern.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing." he answered.
"It's Alison isn't it? You should call her."
"Kate, I don't want to push her."
"I know you don't. What if she's waiting on you to make the first move?" Kate wondered. She reached over to the nightstand and picked up the cordless phone. "Here," she said, "Call her." Kate threw back the covers and walked over to the door.
"Where are you going?" Jethro asked.
"I'm a little hungry." Kate smiled, "You'll be alright."
After Kate left, Jethro stared at the cordless phone for a long moment, then he dialed Tony's number. He nearly hung up until Alison's voice came on the other end.
"Allie?" he asked when he heard his daughter's voice.
"Hi." the girl replied.
They talked for over an hour, about how she was doing, how school was going and how soccer was. Alison even invited her dad to a soccer game the next week. He said he'd be there to cheer her on.
"Dad?" Alison ventured before her father hung up.
"Yes Honey-bee."
"Thanks for calling. I-I mean..."
"I know Allie." Jethro broke in.
"And dad, tell Kate I said hi."
"I will sweetie." Jethro agreed, "I love you."
"I know dad, I love you too."
It felt good to Jethro to talk to Alison, to forge some sort of relationship again. And even though she didn't agree to move back to the house again, she hadn't said no when her father extended the offer. Finally, he thought, things were going on the right track. They were beginning to come out from under the cloud that Daniel's death had hung over them.
"Are you okay?" Kate asked when she came into the room.
"She invited me to a soccer game next week."
"Oh?"
"She said to say hello to you too."
"Oh." Kate lowered her head, "Do you think I should talk to her?"
"No."
"But I can try to get her to come home."
"It's okay Kate, I offered, but she said she's not ready yet."
"I'm sorry." Kate said.
"I know. She said she loves me. It's a start I guess." Before Kate could reply, Jethro's cell phone let out a shrill ring. He picked it up and looked at the caller i.d.
"Work?" Kate asked.
"Yeah, I've got to take this."
After a few minutes talking with McGee on the other end, Jethro grabbed his things and left.
"I'll be back later." he told Kate as he dropped a kiss on her cheek.
"Be safe." she told him.
"I will."
Fifteen minutes after he left, Kate got dressed and headed out into the night.
She wasn't sure what she'd find when she pulled up to Tony's apartment complex twenty minutes later. She got out of her silver Honda Civic and walked up to his door.
"Tony, what did you forget this time?" Alison's voice came through the door. She swung the door open to reveal Kate standing at the front door. "Uh, hi." Alison eeked out.
"I shouldn't be here." Kate said quickly, she turned to leave.
"Wait." Alison called after her. "Do you want to come in?"
Kate paused for a moment and then gave Alison a tiny smile, "Sure." she said.
Alison stepped back so Kate could come into the apartment.
"Do you want something to eat? I just got done with dinner, but I can heat something up."
"No, it's okay I just ate as well. Not that I'm keeping anything down these days."
"Are you sick?" Alison asked, her voice full of concern.
"Pregnant actually." Kate replied.
"Really?" Alison's blue eyes lit up for a moment. "That's good." she added, a little more somberly. "Are you excited?"
"A little. Look Allie, I wanted to come and talk to you. I heard you talked to your dad."
"Yeah. He said you told him to call." Alison sat on the sofa and pulled her legs underneath her. "I'm not mad at you ya know."
"What I can't figure out is why though. I shut you out after Daniel's death."
"My dad told me that you didn't want me around after Danny died. And I was okay with that, because at the time I blamed me too. I went through all the "should have's" and "if only's." Like if only I had decided to stand in that long line at the store instead of leaving, maybe Danny would still be alive." Alison paused, then continued tellling Kate the rest of the details. "He was happy, that day. We were singing along to Barney. He was clapping and having a good time. Then he fell asleep. I looked back to check on him and that's when the car slammed into us. For a second, I didn't know what happened. I tried to keep the car straight, but it all happened so fast and the next thing I knew was that I hit the big tree. My head hit the steering wheel and I felt the body of the Jeep crumble. I tried to see where Danny was, but a big branch was in the way. When the rescue workers came, they got him out first and crowded around me so I couldn't see him. The one medic said it was pretty bad. I started to cry because I hurt my little brother. It wasn't until later in the hospital that my dad told me that Danny died. I thought it was a mistake, that I was having a nightmare, but it wasn't." she stopped and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, "I'm so sorry Kate. I never meant for the accident to happen."
"Oh honey, come here." Kate took Alison in her arms and hugged her. "Look at me Alison, you did nothing wrong. It just happened. I realize that now, and I'm sorry I blamed you."
"It's okay." Alison let her hands fall to her lap. "Are you and my dad okay? I mean, you two aren't getting divorced?"
"No no no. We're okay. When I moved out, I felt like we weren't connecting at all, like that spark was gone. You're dad found me a few days later and we talked about it and I moved back in later that week."
"I'm glad you are staying together. You're his right hand you know." Alison smiled. "So, tell me more about my brother or sister."
"Well, I'm due next April, so I'm about twelve weeks along now."
"Are you going to find out the sex?"
"We did that with Daniel, this time I think I want to be surprised."
"I think you'll have a girl."
"Really? I think so too."
The girls talked well into the night. Alison agreed to think about coming home, though she made no definite decision just yet.
As Kate left Tony's apartment, she felt that her and Alison's realtionship was finally on solid ground.
Twelve days later...
"Hey Kate, could you hand me the sandpaper." Jethro said not looking up from his boat. He had heard the footsteps on the wooden basement stairs and assumed it was his wife.
"Kate's not here, but I'll help." Alison offered. She held out the fine grain sand paper to her father.
"Alison?" Jethro said, he could't believe that his daughter, whom he hadn't seen in nearly a year, was standing in front of him.
"I was just wondering if that offer to come home still stands." Alison asked as she wrung out her hands.
"Of corse it does."
"Good, cause I got Tony and McGee outside wrestiling with my stuff." Alison smiled. Her father wrapped her in a huge hug. Then he stepped back to look at his little girl. She looked older to him, wiser, healthier than the last time he saw her. Her face wasn't as pale, and her freckles didn't stand out as much. Her hair was longer, and different, the red-gold wisps had darkened to a pretty red-brown color. Her blue eyes looked alight, instead of sullen and sad.
"You look good." Jethro commented.
"Thanks." Alison replied. "Here's the sandpaper." Alison held out the paper. Her father took it and set it down on the frame of the boat. He took her hands andcast an appraising eye over her exposed wrists, revealing the fading pink scarsthat still lingered there.
"What happened?" he asked.
"A botched attempt at suicide." she told him honestly. "Tony found me in my room and rushed me to the hospital. I convinced him not to tell you."
"When was this?"
"A while ago. Before I went into therapy." Alison answered, "I'm fine dad, really." she added when she saw the unconvinced look in her father's eyes.
"You couldn't have just asked for attention?"
Alison didn't reply. Father and daughter regarded each other for a moment, then Jethro hugged Alison again.
"I'm glad you're home." he said.
"Me too dad, me too."
Several loud crashes could be heard from upstairs. Alison looked at her father.
"I think we should go and make sure they don't break anything." she laughed.
"I think it's too late for that." Jethro replied, as he follwed Alison up the steps.
"Dad?" Alison queried,
"Yeah Alison."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
Author's Note:To all the Tony fans, I know there's not to much Tony in it, but don't worry I have a Tate fic in the works as we speak. I should be posting it soon.
Author's Note II: Okay, I originally slated this chapter for the closing chapter, but I re-read it and there is alot of unfinished business and alot of unanswered questions. I am now going to go back and write a sutible ending for this, so I need some feedback on what you guys think I should write, cause as of right now, I have writers block...So gimmie some ideas guys Please! Okay with that said, please review!