Disclaimer: I own nothing. This is all property of The Agency, Wolfgang
Petersen, Shaun Cassidy, Gail Katz, Radiant Productions and Universal
Television. None of the characters, with the exception of Liz, are mine. I
don't make any profit from them, or this story.
They had already been driving for five hours and the sky was the inky blue of a still summer lake. The stars that twinkled in the sky were so numerous they seemed to have been shaken from a glitter box by a child's eager hand. A crescent moon was making its way across the deep cloak of night, its light casing a path through the desert sands. Cool breezes blew from the sea, and the day's heat had disappeared with the sun's last rays. It was the perfect night. The sort of night that inspires artist, poets, and romantics. Except it seemed to have no affect on the two occupants of the Jeep, who had not spoken one word to each other the entire drive. For five hours she sat in the seat staring straight ahead, not moving one muscle. Her jaw was set, and her arms were angrily folded over her crest. Everything about her exuded anger. Stiles wished he could talk to her. There was so much to say. His sister's words ran through his head never ceasing, never changing. He had come to the conclusion that Terri deserved the truth from him. But he couldn't figure out how to start such a volatile conversation. As the drive progressed and Terri showed no signs of forgiveness, fear crept into his mind. He might have really done it this time. He could only fathom that every person only had so many free passes in their life and he was far from overdrawn where Terri's feelings were concerned. Why should she trust him one more time? Could he blame her if she cut him out of her life? The fear made him realize how many times he had sabotaged what was between them. He had wanted to call her after Nice, but for unknown reasons, he had not. After the plane hijacking, he was planning to call her. She had sounded so upset on the phone, and he wanted to confront her, yet he had not been able to find the time in his busy schedule of TV marathons, and frozen dinners. He had been scared for her in Kabul and again in Indonesia, yet had done nothing to show her his concern. Instead he treated her as if she was nothing to him. He covered up his feelings by being an ass every chance he got. He had been at his worst in China, and the time he refuses to even watch Joshua's wedding with her. He had known then he was being a jerk, but had never apologized. With everything that happened over Thanksgiving, he had planned on driving straight to her apartment, no excuses and tell her what she meant to him. But he never made it because he invented a dozen excuses. At first, she had had no problem expressing her feelings, but he had even forced her to play games. When she started to make cracks about not being easy, he had known that it was her way of telling him she wanted more then a fling. And even though he wanted something solid and tangible with Terri, he couldn't figure out a way to tell her something that simple. Finally the silence pushed him over the edge. " You want to eat something?" 'brilliant' he thought to himself, 'way to sweep her off her feet with your charm' " We have some stuff in the back" she said, still not moving. " Ahh. Could you fix me something?" She sighed audibly and then reached back to grab some food for him. After a few minutes she handed him a half a sandwich. As he started to eat it, he realized she had made it exactly the way he like it liked it, a little bit of Mayo, a lot of mustard, more meat than bread, and one piece of lettuce. He all of a sudden felt horrible. She had taken the time to know the way he liked his sandwich and he had done nothing but be a jerk to her. He snorted when he realized what an idiot he had been, and how Liz would berate him when she found out a sandwich made him realize what he was doing to Terri. The road was bordered on either side by desert, and was itself no more than pressed sand. With a new determination, Stiles violently pulled the car off the road, to a jerking stop in the sand. Terri had given him a funny look after the snort, but she had not bothered to say anything. Now she was left with no choice. " Stiles, What the hell was that????" she asked her knuckles still white from gripping the hand bar and her seat for support. He just sat there looking out the window. When he didn't respond after a few moments, Terri started to panic. The cold feeling to fear gripped her body when she thought her was hurt. The fear was soon joined by feelings of acute pain coursing though her body. She laid her shaking hand on his shoulder and he slowly turned to face her. The silence echoed in the car, as he prepared to say the most difficult words he had ever uttered.
They had already been driving for five hours and the sky was the inky blue of a still summer lake. The stars that twinkled in the sky were so numerous they seemed to have been shaken from a glitter box by a child's eager hand. A crescent moon was making its way across the deep cloak of night, its light casing a path through the desert sands. Cool breezes blew from the sea, and the day's heat had disappeared with the sun's last rays. It was the perfect night. The sort of night that inspires artist, poets, and romantics. Except it seemed to have no affect on the two occupants of the Jeep, who had not spoken one word to each other the entire drive. For five hours she sat in the seat staring straight ahead, not moving one muscle. Her jaw was set, and her arms were angrily folded over her crest. Everything about her exuded anger. Stiles wished he could talk to her. There was so much to say. His sister's words ran through his head never ceasing, never changing. He had come to the conclusion that Terri deserved the truth from him. But he couldn't figure out how to start such a volatile conversation. As the drive progressed and Terri showed no signs of forgiveness, fear crept into his mind. He might have really done it this time. He could only fathom that every person only had so many free passes in their life and he was far from overdrawn where Terri's feelings were concerned. Why should she trust him one more time? Could he blame her if she cut him out of her life? The fear made him realize how many times he had sabotaged what was between them. He had wanted to call her after Nice, but for unknown reasons, he had not. After the plane hijacking, he was planning to call her. She had sounded so upset on the phone, and he wanted to confront her, yet he had not been able to find the time in his busy schedule of TV marathons, and frozen dinners. He had been scared for her in Kabul and again in Indonesia, yet had done nothing to show her his concern. Instead he treated her as if she was nothing to him. He covered up his feelings by being an ass every chance he got. He had been at his worst in China, and the time he refuses to even watch Joshua's wedding with her. He had known then he was being a jerk, but had never apologized. With everything that happened over Thanksgiving, he had planned on driving straight to her apartment, no excuses and tell her what she meant to him. But he never made it because he invented a dozen excuses. At first, she had had no problem expressing her feelings, but he had even forced her to play games. When she started to make cracks about not being easy, he had known that it was her way of telling him she wanted more then a fling. And even though he wanted something solid and tangible with Terri, he couldn't figure out a way to tell her something that simple. Finally the silence pushed him over the edge. " You want to eat something?" 'brilliant' he thought to himself, 'way to sweep her off her feet with your charm' " We have some stuff in the back" she said, still not moving. " Ahh. Could you fix me something?" She sighed audibly and then reached back to grab some food for him. After a few minutes she handed him a half a sandwich. As he started to eat it, he realized she had made it exactly the way he like it liked it, a little bit of Mayo, a lot of mustard, more meat than bread, and one piece of lettuce. He all of a sudden felt horrible. She had taken the time to know the way he liked his sandwich and he had done nothing but be a jerk to her. He snorted when he realized what an idiot he had been, and how Liz would berate him when she found out a sandwich made him realize what he was doing to Terri. The road was bordered on either side by desert, and was itself no more than pressed sand. With a new determination, Stiles violently pulled the car off the road, to a jerking stop in the sand. Terri had given him a funny look after the snort, but she had not bothered to say anything. Now she was left with no choice. " Stiles, What the hell was that????" she asked her knuckles still white from gripping the hand bar and her seat for support. He just sat there looking out the window. When he didn't respond after a few moments, Terri started to panic. The cold feeling to fear gripped her body when she thought her was hurt. The fear was soon joined by feelings of acute pain coursing though her body. She laid her shaking hand on his shoulder and he slowly turned to face her. The silence echoed in the car, as he prepared to say the most difficult words he had ever uttered.
