See other chapters for the disclaimer.
End of 38
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."
CHAPTER 39: "Truth"
***Once again, more changes from the original; hope you enjoy it.***
Frederick and Katherine Stiles planned to leave Washington the afternoon after they brought Terri and the twins home. Before they left, the General spent some time alone with his son.
"Alistair." Stiles looked up concerned; his father only called him by his first name when he was upset or something was wrong.
"Yeah dad?"
"How did Kara react when you told her about Terri?"
Stiles looked away from his father and answered sheepishly. "I uh, haven't exactly told her yet."
"What do you mean you 'haven't exactly told her yet'? Your wife is in the next room Alistair. Don't you think you need to do something about your fiancée?"
"Dad, I really haven't had time, but I'm taking care of everything. We're having dinner together tomorrow. I didn't want to say anything to Kara until everything was settled with Quinn. I couldn't risk her telling anyone."
Satisfied with Stiles' answer, Frederick changed the subject. "You know I'm very happy about Terri, right?"
"Of course."
"You're lucky to have a second chance with your family." As happy as he was for A.B. and as much as he loved Katherine, Frederick was also a little jealous of his son—on many a lonely night, he'd wished for his wife, A.B.'s mother, to come back to him.
Stiles could practically read his father's mind. "Dad what would you have done, if mom had suddenly reappeared after you were with Katherine?"
"I don't know son; I can tell you there were many nights when I dreamed she had. I'd like to think..." He trailed off, realizing what his son was really asking. "I know this isn't easy for you. You cared about Kara, loved her I'm sure." Then he added, "Maybe part of you still does." It was more of a question than a statement.
"Yeah. Don't get me wrong, I love Terri. She was always with me. I never stopped thinking about her—that's the main reason I was on Andros in the first place. But part of me..." Stiles paused trying to gather his thoughts. "Part of me feels bad about Kara even after what she did. I was going to marry her dad. We talked about starting a family together. It's just so...surreal."
"Son, I remember how bad things were for you in the beginning, but I also remember how you changed when Kara came into your life. I was really worried about your for a while. Be gentle with her; she's as much of a victim in all of this as you and Terri."
Stiles laughed sarcastically. "Yeah, I remember what being with her did for me, but dad, she knew Terri was alive and didn't tell me. She almost convinced me to marry her on Andros all the while knowing my wife and children were alive and well. Knowing that makes breaking up with her easier, but it's still going to be strange for a while I think."
Not really hearing Stiles'l last remark Frederick Stiles stared at his only son incredulously. "What do you mean she knew? How could she?"
Stiles explained the entire story and watched as his father's face fell.
"I don't know what to say." General Stiles liked Kara; he credited her for 'saving' his son after Terri's "death." "Look, I'm not saying what she did was right, not at all, but in her defense, she loves you; she was probably afraid you would leave her for Terri. People who are in love do strange things sometimes."
"'In her defense'? How can you defend her? If that's what she thought, she was right. Dad, I'm angry." Stiles slammed his fist on the table to emphasize his point. "She was just thinking about herself. I have a hard time thinking that she would have married me without telling me about Terri!"
Stiles sat down then looked up at his father with tears in his eyes. In a much calmer voice he continued. "I thought she loved me, but she couldn't, not really. Maybe that's part of the reason I'm so upset. If she did, she would have told me the truth—she would have wanted me to be happy no matter what." Stiles stopped to wipe a tear from his cheek then almost whispered, "Dad, I have two children I didn't even know about!"
The elder Stiles didn't know what to say. He'd trusted Kara to take care of his son. He'd been through the same misery when his wife died and hadn't felt anywhere near whole until he met Katherine. The General wanted the same for his son and he thought Kara was his savior, so-to-speak. He too was stung by what she did, or rather didn't do. He could see the pain on his son's face. Even though he was happily reunited with his family, Frederick knew that Stiles felt betrayed by the woman he thought he would be spending the rest of his life with.
The Stiles women walked in the living room to see their husbands in an embrace. "Saying goodbye?" Katherine asked her husband and stepson.
"Yeah," the younger man answered. Terri noticed the deep red color of her husband's eyes, but didn't say anything. She hoped that if they were discussing anything she needed to know that he would tell her later.
A few moments later, after everyone said their goodbyes, A.B. Stiles climbed into his car with his parents and headed for the airport. Terri stood in her living room window and watched them drive away. She was finally at home.
**************************************************************************** ****************
After Stiles dropped Frederick and Katherine off at the airport, he went to Langley to talk to Carl about his future with the Agency.
"Hi Stiles, I'm surprised to see you. How are things at home? Are the kids settling in okay?"
Stiles smiled and took a picture from his wallet. "They are. I just left my dad and stepmother at the airport." As he was answering, Stiles showed Carl a picture of Ava and Jack.
Carl smiled. "She looks just like you."
"Um, that's what my father said. Carl, there's something I need to talk to you about. Do you have time now?"
Carl didn't like the concerned look on Stiles' face. "What is it Stiles? You haven't changed your mind about staying have you?"
"No, not at all. I think you better sit down."
Carl sat down and anxiously waited for Stiles to start talking.
"It's about those letters from Terri. They weren't exactly what they seemed."
"What do you mean? A great deal of the case against Quinn hinges on his confession; his confession is based on those letters. If there's something that's going to affect the case..."
"No, it isn't, well I don't think so. I do have twins and my parents did bring them home yesterday, but," Stiles hesitated a moment before dropping what he knew would be a bombshell on Carl. "They also brought their mother."
"Their mother? Stiles if..."
Stiles took a deep breath, "Yes, their mother—Terri." As Carl sat there staring at Stiles with his mouth open, Stiles told him what really happened during his trip to Andros.
"Wow!"
"That's what I said when I found out."
"So, everything in those letters was true, except she didn't go through with it?"
"Yeah. She's alive Carl, Terri's really alive!"
Carl, of course, was amazed and relieved. He hugged Stiles before he could stop himself.
"Stiles, that's great. I can't wait to see her."
"That's the other thing I want to talk to you about. Can you arrange for the team to be available at 7:00 Friday night? I'd like them to come over and meet the kids. Terri will be a surprise.
Carl eagerly agreed. The team would have an evening meeting at Stiles' house under the auspices that they could meet the kids and kill two birds with one stone.
I know the ending is a little weird, but it was the best place to have a chapter break. : )
End of 38
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."
CHAPTER 39: "Truth"
***Once again, more changes from the original; hope you enjoy it.***
Frederick and Katherine Stiles planned to leave Washington the afternoon after they brought Terri and the twins home. Before they left, the General spent some time alone with his son.
"Alistair." Stiles looked up concerned; his father only called him by his first name when he was upset or something was wrong.
"Yeah dad?"
"How did Kara react when you told her about Terri?"
Stiles looked away from his father and answered sheepishly. "I uh, haven't exactly told her yet."
"What do you mean you 'haven't exactly told her yet'? Your wife is in the next room Alistair. Don't you think you need to do something about your fiancée?"
"Dad, I really haven't had time, but I'm taking care of everything. We're having dinner together tomorrow. I didn't want to say anything to Kara until everything was settled with Quinn. I couldn't risk her telling anyone."
Satisfied with Stiles' answer, Frederick changed the subject. "You know I'm very happy about Terri, right?"
"Of course."
"You're lucky to have a second chance with your family." As happy as he was for A.B. and as much as he loved Katherine, Frederick was also a little jealous of his son—on many a lonely night, he'd wished for his wife, A.B.'s mother, to come back to him.
Stiles could practically read his father's mind. "Dad what would you have done, if mom had suddenly reappeared after you were with Katherine?"
"I don't know son; I can tell you there were many nights when I dreamed she had. I'd like to think..." He trailed off, realizing what his son was really asking. "I know this isn't easy for you. You cared about Kara, loved her I'm sure." Then he added, "Maybe part of you still does." It was more of a question than a statement.
"Yeah. Don't get me wrong, I love Terri. She was always with me. I never stopped thinking about her—that's the main reason I was on Andros in the first place. But part of me..." Stiles paused trying to gather his thoughts. "Part of me feels bad about Kara even after what she did. I was going to marry her dad. We talked about starting a family together. It's just so...surreal."
"Son, I remember how bad things were for you in the beginning, but I also remember how you changed when Kara came into your life. I was really worried about your for a while. Be gentle with her; she's as much of a victim in all of this as you and Terri."
Stiles laughed sarcastically. "Yeah, I remember what being with her did for me, but dad, she knew Terri was alive and didn't tell me. She almost convinced me to marry her on Andros all the while knowing my wife and children were alive and well. Knowing that makes breaking up with her easier, but it's still going to be strange for a while I think."
Not really hearing Stiles'l last remark Frederick Stiles stared at his only son incredulously. "What do you mean she knew? How could she?"
Stiles explained the entire story and watched as his father's face fell.
"I don't know what to say." General Stiles liked Kara; he credited her for 'saving' his son after Terri's "death." "Look, I'm not saying what she did was right, not at all, but in her defense, she loves you; she was probably afraid you would leave her for Terri. People who are in love do strange things sometimes."
"'In her defense'? How can you defend her? If that's what she thought, she was right. Dad, I'm angry." Stiles slammed his fist on the table to emphasize his point. "She was just thinking about herself. I have a hard time thinking that she would have married me without telling me about Terri!"
Stiles sat down then looked up at his father with tears in his eyes. In a much calmer voice he continued. "I thought she loved me, but she couldn't, not really. Maybe that's part of the reason I'm so upset. If she did, she would have told me the truth—she would have wanted me to be happy no matter what." Stiles stopped to wipe a tear from his cheek then almost whispered, "Dad, I have two children I didn't even know about!"
The elder Stiles didn't know what to say. He'd trusted Kara to take care of his son. He'd been through the same misery when his wife died and hadn't felt anywhere near whole until he met Katherine. The General wanted the same for his son and he thought Kara was his savior, so-to-speak. He too was stung by what she did, or rather didn't do. He could see the pain on his son's face. Even though he was happily reunited with his family, Frederick knew that Stiles felt betrayed by the woman he thought he would be spending the rest of his life with.
The Stiles women walked in the living room to see their husbands in an embrace. "Saying goodbye?" Katherine asked her husband and stepson.
"Yeah," the younger man answered. Terri noticed the deep red color of her husband's eyes, but didn't say anything. She hoped that if they were discussing anything she needed to know that he would tell her later.
A few moments later, after everyone said their goodbyes, A.B. Stiles climbed into his car with his parents and headed for the airport. Terri stood in her living room window and watched them drive away. She was finally at home.
**************************************************************************** ****************
After Stiles dropped Frederick and Katherine off at the airport, he went to Langley to talk to Carl about his future with the Agency.
"Hi Stiles, I'm surprised to see you. How are things at home? Are the kids settling in okay?"
Stiles smiled and took a picture from his wallet. "They are. I just left my dad and stepmother at the airport." As he was answering, Stiles showed Carl a picture of Ava and Jack.
Carl smiled. "She looks just like you."
"Um, that's what my father said. Carl, there's something I need to talk to you about. Do you have time now?"
Carl didn't like the concerned look on Stiles' face. "What is it Stiles? You haven't changed your mind about staying have you?"
"No, not at all. I think you better sit down."
Carl sat down and anxiously waited for Stiles to start talking.
"It's about those letters from Terri. They weren't exactly what they seemed."
"What do you mean? A great deal of the case against Quinn hinges on his confession; his confession is based on those letters. If there's something that's going to affect the case..."
"No, it isn't, well I don't think so. I do have twins and my parents did bring them home yesterday, but," Stiles hesitated a moment before dropping what he knew would be a bombshell on Carl. "They also brought their mother."
"Their mother? Stiles if..."
Stiles took a deep breath, "Yes, their mother—Terri." As Carl sat there staring at Stiles with his mouth open, Stiles told him what really happened during his trip to Andros.
"Wow!"
"That's what I said when I found out."
"So, everything in those letters was true, except she didn't go through with it?"
"Yeah. She's alive Carl, Terri's really alive!"
Carl, of course, was amazed and relieved. He hugged Stiles before he could stop himself.
"Stiles, that's great. I can't wait to see her."
"That's the other thing I want to talk to you about. Can you arrange for the team to be available at 7:00 Friday night? I'd like them to come over and meet the kids. Terri will be a surprise.
Carl eagerly agreed. The team would have an evening meeting at Stiles' house under the auspices that they could meet the kids and kill two birds with one stone.
I know the ending is a little weird, but it was the best place to have a chapter break. : )