Title: The More Things Change

Author: Michelle

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: See Part 1

Previously…

"You've been leading me on all this time! I've been dating you—and yes Terri, that's what we've been doing. We've been dating all this time you leading me to believe it was going somewhere. 'Matt, I can't sleep with you now, but we will just be patient. You don't even remember him! Divorce him already and we can be together like we're supposed to be. I never understood what you saw in him. He's an overconfident, arrogant, jerk. He's a Marine, for crying out loud. What's he doing in the CIA? As far as I can tell, he's another one of Quinn's mistakes! We would have been married by now if not for him."

Part 38: Not Without a Fight

Terri slapped Matt as hard as she could. "That's enough! He's a good agent and you know it! You also know he has nothing to do with our not being together. How could we have been married by now? You never asked me out. If you were so interested, you would have told me, and you certainly wouldn't have let me think you were dead for nearly a year; for months I blamed myself for what I thought happened to you."

Matt just stood there dumbly holding his sore cheek while Terri told him off.

"This isn't about Stiles, Matt. It's about me finally getting my head out of the sand. He stood by all this time watching us together. He gave me the space I needed to figure out what I wanted while you were trying to get me in bed every five minutes. I can't believe it took me so long to figure it out! That stunt you pulled at your parent's anniversary party was the last straw. For some reason I kept hoping you weren't the man Stiles kept telling me you were, but you kept on proving him right! It's been almost a year since the crash and I am his wife yet he never pressured me to have sex—not once. Not even after we were under the same roof!

I chose him when you came back the first time and I choose him now. I love my husband and if I have to, I will spend the rest of my life trying to make up for the time I wasted with you when I should have been with him! I wanted to end this amicably, but right now all I want is for you to get out of my house!"

Matt glared at Terri as he picked up his jacket and turned toward the door. "Fine Terri, you two deserve each other. But don't think this is over. Not by a long-shot!"

Terri walked to the door and opened it while Matt put on his jacket. She'd opened it just enough to get her hand on the frame when the wind pulled it the rest of the way open. Matt sauntered over to her and when he reached the door, he grabbed her arm. Before she knew what hit her, Matt pulled Terri to him and kissed her. She pushed and fought to get him off her, but he was holding her too tightly; he didn't let her go until his breathing became labored. When he did, Terri shoved him backwards onto the porch. "Get out! And don't you ever touch me again."

"I just want you to remember exactly what you're giving up." As he turned toward the walk he looked over his shoulder and spat, "Mrs. Stiles" with all the contempt he had.

Terri slammed the door and sat down on the couch. She wasn't at all sad, not like she thought she would be; Matt actually made it easy for her. She never expected him to behave that way. She thought he would be upset, but not like this. Too bad she hadn't seen his true colors sooner; she hadn't realized that Matt wanted to get back at Stiles as much and maybe more than he wanted to be with her.

While she wasn't sad, she was angry at herself for cheating on her husband. She hadn't slept with Matt, but she had been unfaithful nonetheless. Although she couldn't remember being in love with and marrying Stiles, she knew they were married. She knew he could get hurt.

Just as Terri picked up the phone to call Stiles, her doorbell rang. Matt was on the porch ringing the bell and pounding on the door.

Terri threw open the door. "What?"

"Can I come back in?"

"Are you insane? No!"

"Terri," he pointed up at the darkened sky, "The siren."

Terri looked out at the torrential downpour. She wanted to slam the door inMatt's face, but she when she heard the wailing weather siren she didn't. Instead, she left the door open and turned on her TV. There were severe thunderstorm warnings and tornado watches until early the next morning. The weatherman said not to go anywhere if not necessary. Besides the other obvious threats, there were flooded roads everywhere.

"Terri! Can I come in? I can't drive home in this, I could get killed."

Would that be so horrible? Was her first thought.

"Let me stay tonight."

"No" was all she said as she started pushing the door shut.

Matt caught the door with his foot just before it closed. "Come on Terri, you heard what the man said, it's too dangerous for me to drive home."

Terri just stared at the man standing in from of her looking like a drowned rat. She wanted to shove him back outside and wish for lightening to strike, but she couldn't. She didn't want to have to explain to Bailey, Liz and Carson how she let him get swept up in a tornado so she moved and let him in. "You can sleep on the couch."

"I knew you would come to your senses." Matt threw out as he winked at her.

Terri turned around and put her finger in his face. "Don't speak to me the rest of the evening. Don't leave the first floor. And be gone when I get up in the morning. I'll bring you a towel and a blanket."

When Terri came back with the blanket and towels, Matt grinned at her again. Even after everything she'd said, Matt had to push one more time. "What, are you afraid you won't be able to keep your hands off me?" He smiled as he said it and watched her expression. He was enjoying this. Terri wasn't amused.

She didn't bother to respond to his last remark.She went back upstairs and slammed her bedroom door. Although she and Stiles were staying together, she wanted to wait for him before she slept in their bedroom again. She couldn't believe Matt was downstairs on her couch. She didn't want him anywhere near her. She wanted Stiles.

Terri listened to the last message on her machine. She smiled as she listened to Stiles' voice.

"Hey beautiful. I just wanted to say goodnight, I guess you're still at work. If I know Joshua, he's keeping you busy to make up for your little vacation yesterday. Call me when you get in, whatever time it is. I love you. Talk to you later."

Terri picked up the phone to call him and heard a busy signal. Great, the phone lines are down. She reached for her cell phone then realized it was downstairs. When she saw that Matt was still awake she went back to her room and got ready for bed. She decided to wait him out; she hoped Stiles would understand if she woke him when she called back later.

Stiles looked at the clock-it was past midnight. Terri didn't usually work that late; he wondered if she'd gotten his message. He dialed their number and waited; all he got was a busy signal so he tried her cell phone.

Matt heard the phone and thinking it was his, reached for it. As soon as he picked it up, he knew it was Terri's but he looked at the caller ID anyway: Stiles. Matt wanted to answer it and tell Stiles he was spending the night with his wife. The only thing that stopped him was the last ring. He was again all smiles when he heard the voicemail signal.

Matt rolled his eyes as he listened to Stiles go on about how worried he was about Terri not answering the phone. Then, with the touch of a button, Stiles' message disappeared. With another touch, so did his name and phone number in her call log.