End of Chapter 29

"So, you're still engaged to her?"

Stiles couldn't tell how Terri felt so he preceded cautiously. "Terri, I couldn't say anything to her about you, not yet it isn't safe. So technically we are still engaged, but only as far as she's concerned. As far as I'm concerned, I am a happily married man."

Terri still looked a little concerned. "Come here."

Terri walked slowly to Stiles and he put his arms around her. "Have I told you recently how much I love you?"

"No." Stiles laughed. He had a lot of work to do where Terri was concerned.

"I love you. I guess the kids are asleep?"

"I don't know. I was about to read to them when I heard the bell. I'm surprised one of them isn't down here. How do you feel about Barney?"

"Excuse me?"

"That's what we're reading tonight. Wanna come?"

Stiles smiled from ear to ear. "I'd like nothing better." As they started walking he winked at Terri, "Well, almost nothing."

Chapter 30

Terri pulled the sheet over her head and slowly opened her eyes; she didn't want her dream to end. She'd had this dream before—the one where Stiles comes back to Andros and finds her. He tells her he loves her and will protect them from Quinn. The dream always ended with him holding her after they make love.

Each time she had the dream she hesitated to open her eyes. When she did, she would look to her left—at his side of the bed—and find it empty and herself still stuck on the island alone.

Terri looked to her left to see the empty bedside, but this morning it wasn't empty, he was really there! Terri smiled as she watched Stiles sleeping by her side. After a few minutes, she had to touch him, she couldn't help it; she had to make sure. She ran her fingers across his chest then kissed him.

When Stiles appeared the night before, he came with suitcase in hand. It wasn't until the twins were asleep that Stiles broached the topic of the grownups' sleeping arrangements. After a short and awkward discussion, Stiles agreed to simply "sleeping" with Terri. He would gladly have done more, but after their long separation Terri was content just to have him hold her. It was the best night's sleep she'd had in years.

Terri didn't know how long she had been watching when Stiles finally woke up.

"Hey beautiful."

Stiles opened his eyes to see his long lost wife leaning over him drawing patterns on his chest with her finger.

"Good morning. I can't believe you're really here. I wasn't dreaming last night."

"No, you weren't. I'm here and I'm not letting you out of my sight ever again." Stiles pulled Terri into his arms and began kissing her. He was thinking about a long day in bed with his wife. Terri was seriously considering ignoring the little voice in her head that kept asking if she was prepared to get pregnant again.

Jack had other plans. As Stiles and Terri began making out, the bedroom door flew open. "Mommy, I'm hungry."

Stiles, startled by the sudden intrusion, lifted his head to see a mop of curly hair. Terri, who wasn't used to worrying about the kids walking in, quickly pulled away from Stiles and moved back to her side of the bed. Stiles was disappointed that they'd been interrupted, but he had to smile when he looked at his little son. He was still getting used to the idea that he was a father.

Stiles reached down and ran his hand through the mass of sandy blond curls. "Hey little guy how are ya?"

Jack didn't respond as he limbed into bed with his parents nearly sitting on his father. "This is my side. Mommy said."

Terri laughed as she dragged herself out of bed and put on her robe. Stiles groaned as Terri got up. "Stay," he implored as he reached for Terri's arm.

Terri just smiled and turned to Jack. "Come on you. What would you like for breakfast this morning?"

"Pancakes!"

"Okay, pancakes it is. Let's go downstairs." Terri then looked back at Stiles and laughed as she walked out of the bedroom, "Welcome to parenthood."

Stiles spent the entire day smiling. He marveled at everything the twins did. He hadn't spent much time with small children so he was amazed at the things they knew. Jack was full of questions. Ava still wasn't sure she wanted anything to do with him. She spent the day watching him and playing in his vicinity, but the minute Stiles tried to pick her up she protested. Stiles created his own mission: To get his daughter to come to him without crying or clinging to her mother.

One thing Terri hadn't counted on was that Stiles and the kids would be jealous of each other. Jack and Ava were used to having their mother to themselves. One or the other of them would try to climb in Terri's lap if Stiles got close to her. They were used to climbing in bed with her whenever they wanted and suddenly "their" side of the bed was occupied.

Stiles wasn't used to competing for Terri's attention any more than the kids. They were really still in the honeymoon phase of their marriage when Terri disappeared and he wanted Terri's full attention—just like the kids. Terri couldn't remember a time when she was so popular. By their third day together she was tired of refereeing.

Terri met Stiles in the hall and handed him a towel.

"What's this for?"

"It's bath time."

A huge grin spread across Stiles' face as he put his arms around his wife. "Okay, sounds like fun."

Terri gave him a seductive look and kissed him slowly before pulling away. "Nice try." Terri pointed to the twins' room, "It's their bath time. It's your turn."

"Yeah um, do you think they'll let me? Ava still isn't even sure that she wants me around. What's she going to do when I try to get her in the tub?"

"It's time they understand what 'daddy' means. You have to earn their trust. They already like you; they just don't completely understand why you're here."

Stiles frowned. He was a little scared, but he took the towel from Terri and headed to the twins' room.

"I'm going to get in the tub—alone, take a very long bath, and read a book that I started month's ago. For the first time in almost four years, I'm taking the night off."

Terri kissed Stiles on the check then disappeared into the bedroom and closed the door.

Stiles stood in the hall and alternately stared at the towel, at the kids, and at the closed bedroom door. He'd watched bath time the past couple of nights, but he wasn't paying close attention. 'Guess it's now or never.'

"Hey guys."

"Hi daddy. Come play with us."

"Sorry buddy, not now. It's bath time."

A loud chorus of "No's" rang out. Stiles got worried; this wasn't going to be easy.

After wrestling with Jack and Ava for 30 minutes, Stiles finally got them in the bathroom only to find he hadn't filled the tub. By the time he filled the tub, got them back in the bathroom, bathed them, put them in bed, read a story and explained where mommy was ten times, it was almost two hours later. Exhausted, Stiles went to see what Terri was doing.

He couldn't help but smile when he found her. She was in the tub fast asleep, her head on a pillow, her left arm hanging over the side, and her book upside down on the floor.