Disclaimer: Last time I checked I still owned Alison, and not the characters from NCIS, I wish I did though..
Summary: Chapter four
A/N: Another short chapter that skims over stuff, it's necessary though..
"What are you going to call it?" Kate asked, late one afternoon a few weeks later as she watched Alison hammer on the sides of the boat.
"Inspiration." Alison replied. She pounded a loose nail back in place with one whack of the hammer.
"Inspiration? Nice." Kate answered. "How are you going to get it out of the house? It won't exactly go through a three foot by six foot door."
"That took some thinking, and I decided that I'd take it straight up."
Kate looked up, "But you'd have to remove the kitchen floor."
"That's what I was thinking." Alison stopped hammering long enough to glance upwards. She'd have to be careful not to displace any wiring or pipe work that was embedded in the floor of the kitchen, she'd also need help if she was going to get the boat on the water before the cold set in.
It was September now, fall was beginning to set in. The leaves on the trees outside were beginning to turn crimson and gold, a few of them fell from the trees in haste, as if they wanted to be the first to the ground.
In October, the boat was nearly complete, but Alison's dream of having it in the water before cold set in were put on hold. The boat would now be ready come spring. Halloween passed by in a blur, and set the tone for the next batch of holidays, ones that Alison wasn't looking forward to.
At Thanksgiving, every one gathered at Ducky's house for a somber holiday supper and recolections of what they were most thankful for that year. When it came time for Alison to relate what she was thankful for, she stood up and raised her glass of sparkling grape juice and turned to those around her.
"Wow, this has been a hard year. But there are things that I am thankful for, mostly that I finally finished the boat my father couldn't." the teen said, chuckles were heard around the table, "I'm also thankful for all of you. You've been just what my dad said you'd be. Tony, you and Kate have been my pillars of strenght and the ones who held me up when I felt like curling up and crying all day. Abby, you've been my best friend and my shoulder to cry on when I needed you. Tim, you've been there for me when I needed to scream and just get mad. You're unflinching support and kindness have gotten me through some dark days." Alison looked at each person as she addressed them. Finally, she turned to Ducky. "And then there's Ducky, oh Ducky." Allie began to cry, "You will never know how much your stories about my dad mean to me, especially now. You are an invaluable resource and completely necessary in helping me heal. I thank you and love you all from the very tips of my toes. So, yeah, thank you guys for being there for me and getting me through this."
No one said anything as Alison finished, they just took in what she had said about them and reflected on these past months.
All at once, Thanksgiving was over and Alison returned home to an empty house. Once again, she climbed into bed and cried herself to sleep.
Christmas came and Kate coaxed Allie to come and enjoy the festivities at the small home the older girl now shared with Tony.
"Kate and I have something to share." Tony announced after the dinner dishes had been cleared away and desert doled out. The party-goers looked up at their friends and wondered what they could have to say. Alison, seeing the smile on Kate's face, spoke up.
"You're pregnant!" she blurted. Ducky, Abby and McGee all laughed along with Alison. Kate and Tony however, remained silent. Their reaction prompted the rest of the team to look at them in disbelief.
"I'm due in the summer." Kate announced, "And we're getting married." Abby was the first to jump up and give Kate and Tony hugs. Alison followed suit. Soon there were congratulations all around and Christmas was full of happiness.
Winter in Virginia went by in a blur. In January, Alison went back to school after her winter break. She also interned at NCIS Headquarters on her days off.
February came and so did a wedding. Kate had asked Abby and Alison to be her maids of honor when she and Tony wed on Valentines day surrounded by their friends and a few family members. One "family" member was sorely missed, though his picture was prominently displayed in the front row.
Then came spring. Alison had the plans to remove the kitchen floor in place, as it was going to be the only way to get the boat out of the basement.