CHAPTER 24

Terri picked up the little boy and kissed him. "Mommy's okay honey. Did we wake you?"

He nodded yes, rubbing his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Why did he just call you mommy? Is he yours?" Stiles asked frowning.

Terri replied with as much sarcasm as she could muster. "Yes, that's what mommy usually means."

Stiles was hurt. "How old is he?"

"Why do you care?"

Stiles responded in typical Stiles' fashion.

"Why? You were just on my case about seeing someone else. At least I thought you were dead. You knew I was alive and…How long were you on the island before you shacked up with his father?"

Terri stared at him incredulously opening and closing her mouth as she tried to formulate a response.

Stiles was furious. Terri had a child by another man. He had spent four years mourning her death and the death of their daughter and she had been and maybe still was with another man.

"What, did you seduce the first guy you met down here? Let me guess, he was on a boat. I know you have a thing for men on boats! Or wait, is he upstairs?"

"Stop yelling at mommy!"

"It's okay sweetie. Let's get you back to bed." Terri didn't even bother to acknowledge Stiles. She turned and took her son upstairs and left Stiles standing in her living room.

Terri was back downstairs within 15 minutes. To her surprise, Stiles was still standing where she left him.

"Why are you still here? Don't you have a fiancée waiting for you?" She hissed.

"Terri, I ---"

"No stiles. I'm tired of arguing. I waited four years for what I hoped could be at least a semi-happy reunion, but that can't be. There really isn't anything else to say. We're not the same people we were then. I really think you should go." Terri walked to the door and opened it.

"I'll call you a cab it you need one."

Stiles started to protest, but he could see that she was finished talking. This was not the way he envisioned the evening ending.

"Goodbye Stiles."

Terri shut the door and went back to the couch. She didn't even have the energy to sit down; her body just took over as she slumped over on the couch. The only person Terri really wanted was on his way back to another woman. For what seemed like the hundredth time that week Terri sat on her couch and cried until she fell asleep.

"Stop here."

Stiles asked the driver to wait. He walked a short distance to an out-of-the way spot and began digging with his hands; he wanted to see the rest of those letters. He wanted to know exactly what happened with Terri in Korea. Stiles mind raced as he thought about all of the things they could have done to her. Then he thought about Jack. Since she was pregnant when she was kidnapped Jack's conception must have happened after Quinn "rescued" her. Then again, Terri may have been in Korea longer than Quinn said. He wanted to know about that kid. Another thought hit Stiles as he was digging, 'what if she was raped?'

He was so surprised when he realized Jack called Terri Mommy he automatically assumed that she was seeing someone else. He wanted to kick himself for being so stupid. He knew Terri would never sleep with someone else willingly—not so soon after she disappeared. 'Stiles, you idiot, she may never speak to you again.'

Stiles found the capsule. He removed their rings first then Terri's journal. He read the first few entries with his pocket flashlight before he got back to the hotel. He felt sick and very ashamed of himself. Terri was right; he really had no idea what she had been through.

As Stiles entered the hotel, the night concierge called him. Stiles ignored him because he was in a hurry to get back to the journal. The concierge was good at his job; he chased Stiles down at the elevator. "Excuse me, Mr. Stiles?"

"Yeah."

"I have something for you."

Stiles took the small package from the concierge. He was annoyed that he had to stop for another hotel perk. The service at the Paradise was excellent, but sometimes Stiles wished they would just leave him alone. 'Why couldn't they have just left this in the room?' Stiles frowned but said, "Thank you. What is it?"

"I'm sorry sir, I do not know. One of the local boatmen left it. He said it belonged to a woman-a tall attractive blonde were his exact words. Based on his account, we believe that it was Ms. Matthews, your guest, that he saw drop the item. I was not able to return it to her earlier. I hope you will accept my apologies for not being more prompt."

Stiles couldn't have cared less about whatever it was that Kara dropped on the beach. He was sure it couldn't have been important or she would have mentioned it. He just wanted to get back to Terri's journal.

"Uh, it's not a problem. Thanks."

When Stiles finally got back to his suite, he made sure Kara was asleep then went to the balcony and started reading again.

"June 30, 2003

Dear Stiles,

I went to the doctor for the first time since I've been here. All of my bruises have healed. Well, the physical ones anyway. I'm still working on the others.

I had another ultrasound today. This time, the nurse said she would let me listen to the baby's heartbeat, but they didn't find one."

Stiles stopped reading and closed the journal. He started thinking about all of the horrible things that must have happened to Terri from the minute she was kidnapped. He wasn't sure he wanted to read the rest.