Disclaimer: I don't own it or get paid for it : ) I don't own the
characters and therefore have no hope of making any money off this.
A word of warning: the next few chapters are short.
End of 37
"As you can imagine, we weren't planning on having kids so soon, and Terri wasn't all that happy about it at first. She didn't even tell me for two weeks after she found out, but Helen we have two beautiful, healthy kids and she's done a great job with them. That's what I wanted to give you tonight—your daughter and your grandchildren."
CHAPTER 38: "Reunion"
The same day Quinn was arrested Stiles called Kara. She was the last piece that needed to be filled in the puzzle before Terri and Stiles could even begin to go back to their lives.
"Hey handsome, I was beginning to think you fell off the face of the planet. When am I going to see you?"
"How does two days sound?"
"Perfect. Why don't you come over for dinner around 7?"
"Great. I'll see you then." ******************************************
Stiles wanted everything to be perfect when Terri got home. He hired a cleaning service to scrub the house from top to bottom and to change all of the linens. Helen made sure there were fresh flowers in the kitchen and living room, childproof caps on everything toxic and plastic plugs in all of the outlets. Meanwhile, Evan helped Stiles arrange the new furniture he got for the kids' rooms.
Stiles searched every inch of the house to make sure there was nothing of Kara's lying around. He also put his and Terri's wedding pictures on the mantle and asked Helen to frame the new pictures he had of the twins. He wanted Terri to feel like she was really at home--as though she'd never been away.
***************************** After Helen called Stiles in a panic because she hadn't heard from Terri he invited all of the Freemonts to the house to welcome her home. As soon as Helen saw Frederick Stiles pull into his son's driveway she was out the door. Stiles and Evan were afraid she would snatch open Terri's door before Frederick could stop the car.
When Terri saw her dad standing in the front doorway and her mother running down the driveway she almost jumped out of the moving car. When the car finally came to a stop, Terri jumped out just as Helen reached the car door.
"Terri!" Helen screamed as she embraced her daughter. When Helen finally let her go, she held Terri's face in her hands and stared into her big brown eyes as tears streamed down both their faces.
"My baby, is it really you? Are you really here?"
"Yes mama, it's really me. I've missed you so much! I'm sorry I didn't get to call you last night; there was an electrical storm. Oh, I'm so happy to see you. Stiles didn't tell me you would be here; I've dreamed about this for so long."
As Terri finished talking she hugged her mother again. Helen just kept mumbling, "My baby, my little girl," over and over again as she held on to Terri and stroked her hair. It was several minutes before the two women broke their embrace. When they did, Terri was mobbed by her brother and father.
"Hey princess, I can't believe it's really true. You really are alive. Miracles really do happen!"
Terri's brother had similar things to say, but not before Jack broke up the reunion.
"Daddy!" When everyone heard Jack's voice, they turned to see the mop of blonde curls run by. Helen immediately turned to see her grandson and tried to intercept him as he ran to his father. Fortunately for his little cheeks, he was too fast for her.
"Hey buddy, I missed you." Stiles said as he picked him up and kissed him. He caught Ava as she was ambling by checking out her surroundings.
Terri smiled broadly as she wiped the tears from her face and watched her family. "Why don't we all go inside; I haven't been inside for four years!"
Evan and Helen walked their daughter in the house, one on each side, arms entwined. Just as Stiles had been the week before, they were afraid to let her go for fear she would disappear again.
Evan and Helen sat down on the couch with Terri between them, still staring at her. Once again, Jack interrupted the moment. "Daddy, where's my room?"
Hearing Jack's voice broke Helen from her trance. "Oh, honey, he's beautiful! Darling, tell me what happened! I'm so sorry you were alone. I never imagined that I wouldn't be with you when you had your first baby." Helen fired questions at Terri in an excited but motherly tone. But in her usual manner, she changed the subject quickly.
"What do you know about being a mother? Are they getting enough to eat? Have you been reading to them? Do you make sure they have plenty of green vegetables? You're taking care of their teeth, aren't you? Have they had all of their shots?"
"Mother!" Terri interrupted, "They're not puppies!" Terri added with a smile. She couldn't be upset with her mother. In fact, she'd missed Helen's quirky nature.
"Puppy? Mommy, are we getting a puppy?"
Terri couldn't help but laugh. "No sweetheart, we're not getting a puppy. It just sounded like grandma was talking about a puppy. Come here Jack, Ava; come see mommy for a minute."
Both children walked to their mother and grandparents if not quickly, obediently. "Ava, Jack, this is your grandma Helen and your granddad Evan. Say 'hi'."
"Hi" Jack offered pleasantly then took off toward the kitchen before anyone could grab him. Ava on the other hand, simply waved slyly and climbed into the safety of her mother's arms. Terri nuzzled in her daughter's sandy blond curls and smiled at her mother.
"Hi sweetheart." Helen leaned over to talk to Ava.
Ava looked up at Terri. "Mommy, she's not grandma, that's grandma!" Ava said as she pointed toward Katherine.
"Well sweetie, you have TWO grandmas. Grandma Helen is my mommy and she's relly happy to get to meet you. You know, I bet grandma would like a hug. What do you think?" Terri looked at Helen and saw the apprehension on her face. She needn't have worried. As soon as Terri finished talking Ava held out her little arms toward Helen.
Evan and Stiles walked back into the living room in time to hear Ava's introduction. "Hi grandma; my name is Ava."
Poor Ava didn't know what to think of all the tears streaming down the adult's faces.
After all of the introductions, Stiles gave the twins a tour of the rest of the house and the back yard before showing them their new bedrooms. Jack kept looking for the water and the sand. Ava just wanted to know where her doll house was. Stiles got very nervous. He hadn't planned what to say when Ava told him, "Daddy, I want to go home. Mommy said; we were going home now." He knew it was going to be a long transition for them.
While Stiles was showing the twins around the house, Terri and her family were getting reacquainted. Helen wanted to know details Terri couldn't tell her. Evan just kept staring at his daughter while holding her hand. He was still in shock.
After everyone had dinner, Helen and Evan reluctantly said goodbye. Helen then promised that she would be back the next morning for breakfast; she was jealous that Frederick and Katherine had been with Terri and the twins for several days and were going to spend the night too.
"I love you mom, dad and I'm so happy to be home."
"We love you too princess and we're glad you're back. I promise that after breakfast we won't be here every day—will we Helen?" Terri smiled and Helen didn't say anything; she knew when she was being chastised. "The four of you need time to get used to being a family."
Terri was emotionally exhausted by the time her family left, the kids finally went to bed and they got the in-laws settled. What she wanted was some quiet time with her husband.
Stiles sat down on the bed and Terri snuggled up next to him. Stiles kissed her wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "Welcome home baby. You okay?"
"A little overwhelmed, I think. I don't know what I was expecting, but everything's...I don't know—different. It's going to get better, right?"
"I love you and you're home; everything is going to be perfect."
A word of warning: the next few chapters are short.
End of 37
"As you can imagine, we weren't planning on having kids so soon, and Terri wasn't all that happy about it at first. She didn't even tell me for two weeks after she found out, but Helen we have two beautiful, healthy kids and she's done a great job with them. That's what I wanted to give you tonight—your daughter and your grandchildren."
CHAPTER 38: "Reunion"
The same day Quinn was arrested Stiles called Kara. She was the last piece that needed to be filled in the puzzle before Terri and Stiles could even begin to go back to their lives.
"Hey handsome, I was beginning to think you fell off the face of the planet. When am I going to see you?"
"How does two days sound?"
"Perfect. Why don't you come over for dinner around 7?"
"Great. I'll see you then." ******************************************
Stiles wanted everything to be perfect when Terri got home. He hired a cleaning service to scrub the house from top to bottom and to change all of the linens. Helen made sure there were fresh flowers in the kitchen and living room, childproof caps on everything toxic and plastic plugs in all of the outlets. Meanwhile, Evan helped Stiles arrange the new furniture he got for the kids' rooms.
Stiles searched every inch of the house to make sure there was nothing of Kara's lying around. He also put his and Terri's wedding pictures on the mantle and asked Helen to frame the new pictures he had of the twins. He wanted Terri to feel like she was really at home--as though she'd never been away.
***************************** After Helen called Stiles in a panic because she hadn't heard from Terri he invited all of the Freemonts to the house to welcome her home. As soon as Helen saw Frederick Stiles pull into his son's driveway she was out the door. Stiles and Evan were afraid she would snatch open Terri's door before Frederick could stop the car.
When Terri saw her dad standing in the front doorway and her mother running down the driveway she almost jumped out of the moving car. When the car finally came to a stop, Terri jumped out just as Helen reached the car door.
"Terri!" Helen screamed as she embraced her daughter. When Helen finally let her go, she held Terri's face in her hands and stared into her big brown eyes as tears streamed down both their faces.
"My baby, is it really you? Are you really here?"
"Yes mama, it's really me. I've missed you so much! I'm sorry I didn't get to call you last night; there was an electrical storm. Oh, I'm so happy to see you. Stiles didn't tell me you would be here; I've dreamed about this for so long."
As Terri finished talking she hugged her mother again. Helen just kept mumbling, "My baby, my little girl," over and over again as she held on to Terri and stroked her hair. It was several minutes before the two women broke their embrace. When they did, Terri was mobbed by her brother and father.
"Hey princess, I can't believe it's really true. You really are alive. Miracles really do happen!"
Terri's brother had similar things to say, but not before Jack broke up the reunion.
"Daddy!" When everyone heard Jack's voice, they turned to see the mop of blonde curls run by. Helen immediately turned to see her grandson and tried to intercept him as he ran to his father. Fortunately for his little cheeks, he was too fast for her.
"Hey buddy, I missed you." Stiles said as he picked him up and kissed him. He caught Ava as she was ambling by checking out her surroundings.
Terri smiled broadly as she wiped the tears from her face and watched her family. "Why don't we all go inside; I haven't been inside for four years!"
Evan and Helen walked their daughter in the house, one on each side, arms entwined. Just as Stiles had been the week before, they were afraid to let her go for fear she would disappear again.
Evan and Helen sat down on the couch with Terri between them, still staring at her. Once again, Jack interrupted the moment. "Daddy, where's my room?"
Hearing Jack's voice broke Helen from her trance. "Oh, honey, he's beautiful! Darling, tell me what happened! I'm so sorry you were alone. I never imagined that I wouldn't be with you when you had your first baby." Helen fired questions at Terri in an excited but motherly tone. But in her usual manner, she changed the subject quickly.
"What do you know about being a mother? Are they getting enough to eat? Have you been reading to them? Do you make sure they have plenty of green vegetables? You're taking care of their teeth, aren't you? Have they had all of their shots?"
"Mother!" Terri interrupted, "They're not puppies!" Terri added with a smile. She couldn't be upset with her mother. In fact, she'd missed Helen's quirky nature.
"Puppy? Mommy, are we getting a puppy?"
Terri couldn't help but laugh. "No sweetheart, we're not getting a puppy. It just sounded like grandma was talking about a puppy. Come here Jack, Ava; come see mommy for a minute."
Both children walked to their mother and grandparents if not quickly, obediently. "Ava, Jack, this is your grandma Helen and your granddad Evan. Say 'hi'."
"Hi" Jack offered pleasantly then took off toward the kitchen before anyone could grab him. Ava on the other hand, simply waved slyly and climbed into the safety of her mother's arms. Terri nuzzled in her daughter's sandy blond curls and smiled at her mother.
"Hi sweetheart." Helen leaned over to talk to Ava.
Ava looked up at Terri. "Mommy, she's not grandma, that's grandma!" Ava said as she pointed toward Katherine.
"Well sweetie, you have TWO grandmas. Grandma Helen is my mommy and she's relly happy to get to meet you. You know, I bet grandma would like a hug. What do you think?" Terri looked at Helen and saw the apprehension on her face. She needn't have worried. As soon as Terri finished talking Ava held out her little arms toward Helen.
Evan and Stiles walked back into the living room in time to hear Ava's introduction. "Hi grandma; my name is Ava."
Poor Ava didn't know what to think of all the tears streaming down the adult's faces.
After all of the introductions, Stiles gave the twins a tour of the rest of the house and the back yard before showing them their new bedrooms. Jack kept looking for the water and the sand. Ava just wanted to know where her doll house was. Stiles got very nervous. He hadn't planned what to say when Ava told him, "Daddy, I want to go home. Mommy said; we were going home now." He knew it was going to be a long transition for them.
While Stiles was showing the twins around the house, Terri and her family were getting reacquainted. Helen wanted to know details Terri couldn't tell her. Evan just kept staring at his daughter while holding her hand. He was still in shock.
After everyone had dinner, Helen and Evan reluctantly said goodbye. Helen then promised that she would be back the next morning for breakfast; she was jealous that Frederick and Katherine had been with Terri and the twins for several days and were going to spend the night too.
"I love you mom, dad and I'm so happy to be home."
"We love you too princess and we're glad you're back. I promise that after breakfast we won't be here every day—will we Helen?" Terri smiled and Helen didn't say anything; she knew when she was being chastised. "The four of you need time to get used to being a family."
Terri was emotionally exhausted by the time her family left, the kids finally went to bed and they got the in-laws settled. What she wanted was some quiet time with her husband.
Stiles sat down on the bed and Terri snuggled up next to him. Stiles kissed her wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "Welcome home baby. You okay?"
"A little overwhelmed, I think. I don't know what I was expecting, but everything's...I don't know—different. It's going to get better, right?"
"I love you and you're home; everything is going to be perfect."