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Chapter 11

Kara was the Assistant D.A. assigned to Willie Doreman's case and a very determined woman. She graduated first in her high school class, summa cum laude from Vassar, and with honors from Georgetown Law. She was the youngest D.A ever in Washington and had her sites on a judge's chair. Kara had a condominium overlooking the Potomac and an impressive portfolio. The one thing she didn't have was a family of her own.

A.B. Stiles was tall, handsome and rugged. He was also intelligent and romantic. Kara Matthews fell for him within five minutes of their first meeting. Stiles apprehended Doreman on the courthouse steps over a year prior. Kara had her eye on Stiles the minute she saw him at a pre-trial hearing. When the case was over, she invited him to join her, Avery and the rest of the prosecution team for a conviction "celebration" in D.C. She watched him all night waiting to make her move, all the while hoping he would approach her first. There was just something about him.

Though Stiles seemed to laugh at all the right times and mingled easily with the group he didn't seem to be enjoying himself. "You don't seem to be having much fun A.B. We're supposed to be celebrating here. You look like you just lost your best friend." Kara drawled in her slight Georgia accent.

Stiles didn't bother to look up. "I did."

"Oh" Kara stammered. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize . . ."

Stiles looked up and gave her a half smile. "It's okay. My wife, Terri, helped with the case too."

Kara wasn't sure how Terri fit into the story. She didn't know there was a Mrs. Stiles. 'Men should be required to wear wedding rings.' she thought.

"Oh, I don't remember seeing her in court. Did you ask her to join us?"

Stiles looked down, staring into his near-empty glass, and shook his head. "No, she isn't coming. She died last May."

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Kara was embarrassed by the mistake, but admittedly glad he was single.

Stiles still in his own world said almost to himself, "Sunday would have been our first anniversary. She would have been glad to see this guy put away."

"I'm sure she would have. You had only four months with her, that's so sad." 'This could be work,' Kara thought. 'But, at least he isn't attached'

"Yeah." For the first time in a long time, a genuine smile crept across Stiles' face. "It was a wonderful four months."

"I can tell you miss her. What happened, if I may ask?"

Stiles nodded yes once again then changed the subject without answering her question. Even if he'd been ready to talk, about Terri's death to a stranger, he wouldn't know where to begin.

"Hey, I thought this was supposed to be a party." He stood, and held up his empty glass. "Here's to one less terrorist on the streets!"

Kara watched in silence as he walked toward the others. A sly smile appeared on her face. She thought she was just the thing to help the handsome agent get over his wife's death. Kara Matthews almost always got what she wanted and she wanted A.B. Stiles.

Kara spent the next few months creating excuses to talk to Stiles. First it was a case, and then general questions about the FBI for her little brother whom she claimed was interested in joining. It didn't matter what they talked about really, she just wanted to stay on his radar. She knew he'd be ready to date again and she wanted to make sure she was available when the time came.

The time came about five months after their discussion in the bar. The President had a formal dinner meeting scheduled with the head of the allies' intelligence forces and assorted other D.C. dignitaries. Kara was invited as an up-an-coming member of the bar. Stiles was caught off guard by the invitation, but couldn't create a viable excuse to avoid the event. He was surprised at how much he enjoyed the evening. Kara called Stiles a great friend for helping her out. The had a great time and soon, they were spending events together regularly.

Stiles and Kara's relationship grew slowly, too slowly for Kara. At times, she felt like she was competing with a ghost. Terri was everywhere in Stiles' house. Their wedding photos were still up in the living room; her clothes were still in the closet (Kara peeked one day while Stiles was on the phone.) The entire house was decorated by Terri and worst of all, her parents and brother still considered Stiles part of their family. On more than one occasion Kara and Helen had words. The worst was the first time they met.

Stiles was able to forgive Joshua when he heard the entire story behind Joshua's betrayal. It took a long time, but Stiles had to admit that he would have agreed to just about anything to save Terri, just as Joshua did to protect his wife twelve years earlier.

At first, he didn't want to think that he could work with a foreign government even if it was to get information, but as much as he missed Terri, he was afraid that he would have done that or worse if it meant saving her life. Stiles was able to forgive Joshua. The dinner was the first he'd had with Joshua since Terri's death.

Kara got to the house early to help set up and to greet the guests as they arrived. Everyone but Jackson had arrived so she fully expected it to be him at the door. Instead, she came face to face with Helen Freemont, a woman still grieving for her only daughter.

Kara swung open the door and began talking before it was fully open. "Hi Jack-Oh, I'm sorry, I was expecting to see someone else. May I help you?"

Helen looked suspiciously at the woman standing at her daughter's door. "Who are you, and why are you answering my son-in-law's door?"

Kara stiffened. She'd heard about Helen Freemont, but she was not expecting to meet her, not now-really, not ever. She stammered out an answer.

"My name is Kara. Kara Matthews. A.B. and I are . . . We're . . . I'm his girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" Helen asked with a noticeable snort.

"Yes."

Helen stuck her head in and looked around. "You don't live here, do you?"

"No." Under her breath she added, "Not that it is any of your business."

Helen relaxed her shoulders but kept her eyes narrowed. "Oh. So how long have you two been seeing each other? He's never mentioned you."

Helen was trying her best to push Kara's buttons.

"A few months."

"Well," Helen started as she pushed her way in, "don't get too comfortable around here. This is my daughter's house after all." Helen said rather smugly.

Kara wanted very badly to push this woman back outside and slam the door, but she knew how much Stiles liked her so she took a deep breath and tried to keep her cool.

"Mrs. Freemont, I realize your daughter and A.B. bought this house together, but it does belong to him now and . . ."

Helen switched gears quickly and caught Kara off guard. "You aren't sleeping here, in my daughter's bed, are you?"

"I umm . . ."

The truth was she wasn't. Again, Stiles wouldn't hear of it. But Kara didn't think Stiles' and her sleeping arrangements were any of this woman's business.

Fortunately for both women, before Kara could put Helen in her place, Stiles walked in.

"Hi Helen, how are you?" Stiles walked over and kissed her on the cheek and gave her a hug. He was glad she'd forgiven him for what happened to Terri. He needed her family now that she was gone. "What are you doing here, were we having dinner or something?"

Helen squeezed her son-in-law. She wanted that Kara woman to see the closeness of their relationship. "No darling, I was in the neighborhood so I came by. It looks like you've already got company." Helen added as she raised her left eyebrow at Kara.

"Oh, I see you've met Kara." Kara was standing a few feet away from them, taking it all in.

"You didn't tell me you were seeing someone."

Stiles looked at Kara. "Honey, give us a minute please." Kara didn't want to go; she wanted to here what Helen was going to say about her, but she went anyway, very slowly.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that, Helen. I didn't know how to tell you. It's still weird to me too."

"How long?"

"I've known her for a while. We worked together on an assignment. I told her about Terri. Not everything, of course, but enough. She knows how much I loved her and that part of me always will."

Helen didn't like this one bit. She'd already lost her only daughter, now it looked like she was going to loose her only son-in-law too, but she did her best to hide it.

"Are you happy, really happy?"

"As happy as I could be, I guess. Look, Kara is a good person, really. She understands about Terri and my relationship with you and the rest of the family. No matter what happens with Kara and me I'll always consider you family. I just hope you will feel the same about me."

Helen hugged Stiles again. "Of course I will."

As Helen let go of Stiles, Kara and Lex walked back into the house. Helen made a bee line for Kara and pulled her aside. "I just want you to know that my husband and I consider A.B. part of our family. His mother isn't around anymore so if you hurt him you will have to answer to me. Do you understand?"

The look on Helen's face told Kara she meant business. Kara was afraid to say anything other than, "Yes ma'am."

As Stiles looked on, he wondered what those two were talking about. Helen walked back to him and kissed him on the cheek. Then, motioning to Kara, she whispered in his ear, "I think she and I have an understanding."