Title: The More Things Change

Author: Michelle

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: See Part 1 borrowed a reference/line from one of the episodes, which one escapes me at the moment!

Part 55: When Pigs Fly

"Good Morning Mrs. Stiles."

Terri nodded in Joshua's direction and went to her desk; she didn't feel chatty this morning. Joshua didn't take the hint. He came out to talk to her with a smile on his face.

"I got your message. I'm surprised you're here at all. I trust you and Mr. Stiles had a nice reunion."

Her initial response was a frown followed by a curt, "I don't want to talk about it."

"You didn't…"

"Why are men such pigs?"

Joshua had no idea how to respond to her comment. When she'd left the day before she was all smiles knowing he was coming home. Now she was calling him a pig.

"Do you have a particular man in mind?"

She paused a moment, working hard to keep the tears at bay; she was not going to cry again, especially not at work. "He didn't come home until the middle of the night."

"Maybe there was plane trouble; what was his explanation?"

"I don't know; I didn't talk to him."

"Why?" Joshua drawled.

"Chance called me when he sent Stiles home. He should have been home no later than 10:30. At 11:00, I called his cell and I called here looking for him. Joshua, I was worried. I fell asleep around 11:30. I woke up later to voices and went to check it out." She had to stop again to avoid a breakdown. Joshua waited patiently for her to continue.

Joshua could tell that whatever it was, it was bad.

"He brought…He was touching and kissing her."

"Her who?"

"I don't know Joshua! That's the point. It sure wasn't his sister! He was still passed out on the couch surrounded by beer cans when I left this morning.

"Oh Terri, I'm sorry." He was genuinely concerned. Throughout the whole ordeal of her recovery, her memory loss and Stiles' capture, she kept herself together. This was the first time he'd seen her so close to falling apart.

"Joshua, I don't want to talk about this anymore, okay?"

Joshua nodded and gave her a hug. When Terri and Joshua turned, they saw Matt staring at them holding out his arms to her. Terri just turned her back to him without saying a word. She was still very angry with him too.

Matt wasn't about to let her go that easily; he'd heard her tell Joshua about the other woman. He caught her arm and whispered, but loud enough for Joshua to hear, "I told you he wasn't worth it Terri. You deserve better. Just remember that I'll be here when you're ready."

Terri pulled her arm free, stood up, and, this time witout looking in Matt's direction.

Matt didn't say anything, but he was undeterred. When Matt finished meeting with Joshua, he glanced at Terri on his way out. He walked to his office whistling with a big smile on his face; she may not want him now, but she would. 'Ol' Stiles is making this easy. All I have to do is sit back and wait.'

Meanwhile, Joshua stood in his office frowning; he'd watched Stiles the past year. He was miserable without Terri. He knew how much he loved her and he couldn't imagine him cheating on her, not now, not after everything they'd been through.


It was the fourth ring from the 10th call thatfinally gothim up. "What?" Stiles screamed into the phone.

"Good morning or should I say afternoon? Mr. Stiles."

Stiles pressed his aching temples. His head was pounding and he was in no mood for cheeriness. "Joshua. What do you want?"

Joshua ignored Stiles' mood. "What's this I hear about you and a blonde visitor last night?"

Stiles rubbed his head in confusion.

"I have a massive headache Joshua and I don't have time for your riddles. What are you talking about?"

"Your lovely wife told me that she saw you, shall we say, entertaining a young woman at your house last evening"

"How could Terri know…What, was she following me?"

Now Joshua was confused. "Did you or did you not have a woman, other than your wife with you last night?"

"What's it to you?"

"Well, I listened to you go on about wanting your wife back. You finally get her back and this is how you repay her, by worrying her sick then cheating on her."

"For the record, I didn't…Joshua, how does she know who Iwas with last night?"

"I don't think she does, but she knows she was alone--at home waiting for you."

Stiles stared at the phone. His head hurt and Joshua wasn't making sense. Terri chose Matt. Didn't she?

"Joshua, she chose Matt. I'm divorcing her or rather she's divorcing me so I don't know what you're talking about."

Joshua thought for a moment before replying. The wheels were spinning "Oh dear. You were unconscious, weren't you?"

Stiles was getting irritated. "What? When? What are you talking about now?"

"Terri was talking to you through the transmitter. I heard her tell you that she loves you. You didn't hear that, did you?"

"Yeah I heard it, but it doesn't matter; she was only doing her job. I heard Carl tell her to say that stuff to me. They just wanted me to finish the mission. Even if, in a moment of guilt, she sort of meant it, it doesn't change what happened with her and Matt."

"Now, what are you talking about?"

"She slept with him while I was in Chicago! And who knows what the two of them were doing while I was in Iraq."

"Oh." Was all Joshua could think of to say. He didn't want to believe she would do that, but at this point, he didn't know what to think.

"Look Joshua, I gotta go."

Reluctantly, Joshua hung up the phone.

"Lex, do you know where I can find Mrs. Stiles?"

"She went to the food court for ice cream or coffee or something. She's not in a very good mood. Did something happen?"

"I'm afraid so," Joshua answered cryptically and went back to his office leaving Lex to wonder. Joshua called Joanna and told her he would be home late; he knew there wasn't going to be much work done in his department today.