Disclaimer: Sorry. Don't own the show. Don't own the characters. Ah well… we can't all have everything.
The epilogue! Amazing! And I didn't think I'd carry on after the third chapter… It's all thanks for my wonderful readers and reviewers for your support and encouragement. Anyway, this is the last chapter sniffle so please enjoy!
Sometimes I wake up in the morning and forget what has happened. I shuffle a bit to kick off the sheets and then… I realize that there's someone sleeping beside me. I turn around slowly, afraid that it's a dream, but then she looks up at me with those exquisite eyes and blinks sleepily. Suddenly it hits me why I woke up with a smile on my face, and why I haven't had a single nightmare in the last four years. And only because it's so incredibly tempting, I let my fingers run through her soft blonde hair just to watch the smile come over her face.
And of course there are days when she's up before me, and on those days, I yawn and stretch to the wonderful aroma coming from the kitchen. It draws me out of bed like bees to a hive. I stumble into the kitchen slowly, scratching the stubble on my chin, listening to someone humming with the radio on the counter. And when I walk in, she's always there, putting food on a table set for two, her hair tied in a hurried yet adorable ponytail. Then she smiles; and it's not long before I realize that I'm smiling back at her.
But it wasn't easy at all to get this far. Terry and I were both in need of a committed relationship; and we knew that we had to change the lives that we led if we wanted to be together. And we were prepared to do just that. We both knew that we had put off our relationship for far too long. I had been willing to do pretty much anything, but as it turned out, I wasn't really the one who had to make the toughest decisions.
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It was about two days after Terry and I had (once again) decided to become 'romantically involved' when her husband showed up at her door. I was there just going over some paperwork with her, and although we were planning to have dinner in town later, it would have looked pretty much like a work visit. He was surprised to see me there, however. Terry told me that she hadn't been answering his calls since she had been released from the hospital… but she couldn't possibly avoid answering his request forever. We both knew that eventually they would have to talk face to face.
He turned up that with flowers- red roses, just the kind she liked. And he was dressed well. I had remembered how much she loved the roses I gave her one Valentine's Day when we were at the Academy, and now I recall how I felt a kind of stabbing jealousy when I saw him holding her favorite flowers. Terry seemed frozen when she saw him, her hand stuck on the doorknob. She hadn't known what to say to him, and apparently he had the same problem.
I had been sitting at her table, reading over a report when he came. He said 'hi' in a slightly confused tone of voice, and kept shifting glances between Terry and me like we were conspirators against him or something. I looked to Terry to say something, but she seemed petrified, afraid to say the wrong thing. After a while, the silence made me extremely uncomfortable, and I quickly stepped in, "Hey there, do you remember me? I'm Terry's partner. We were just running through some paperwork. Would you like to come in and have a drink?"
Terry's husband snapped out of his surprise very quickly, and somehow managed to give me a grateful smile. "Sure, why not?" He stepped into the apartment hesitantly and pulled off his coat, silently taking in his surroundings. "You have a very nice place, Terry." He said in a cordial voice, cautiously looking at her standing beside him. She was holding the flowers and still had one hand on the doorknob. Her face was blank, but I knew that she was struggling to hold down her emotions.
Although all I had really wanted to do was kick Terry's husband out of her home, I knew that she needed to sort things out with him in a respectable way. I moved forward and took the flowers out of Terry's arms slowly, hoping that she would jerk back to life. She did, as soon as I squeezed her arm gently, and tried valiantly to return her husband's smile.
"Thank you." Terry said, as she wandered to the kitchen and starting pulling out cups and plates, "Would you like some coffee?"
I had wandered to the corner of her living area, where the table was still covered with our confidential reports, to place the flowers in an empty vase that Terry had on a side table. I knew that Terry loved flowers, but hardly had time to enjoy them in her own home. I remember thinking that her husband had been good to remember what kind of flowers she liked. But even though he was making a big effort now to make her move back in with him, I was completely against his intentions. I wasn't willing to let him break her heart again.
It was strange. I thought that he seemed to be a pretty good guy. The protective and possessive part of me that wanted Terry all to myself still wanted to hate him, however.
"Don?" Terry's voice called me from the kitchen. "Would you like a cup?" I looked at the pile of papers on the table and sighed. I couldn't be there when she and her husband wanted to talk- they needed to work things out by themselves, and I would be an uncomfortable listener. I wanted to be with Terry so much, but for that to happen; she needed to speak with her husband about their marriage. And soon…
"No, that's alright Terry." I said, picking up the papers and stuffing them into the box that I had brought with me. "I'm going over to see Charlie for a bit. He's a little worried about his teaching evaluations that he'll receive tomorrow morning. These papers can wait till tomorrow, or later tonight if you're free."
When I walked back out into the kitchen, Terry and her husband were seated on opposite ends of her dining table, each holding a mug of steaming coffee in their hands. They were both trying to avoid looking at each other, whilst at the same time they were hoping that the other would actually say something to ease their discomfort.
Eventually her husband spoke, but his words were addressed to me, as I was picking up my jacket and was about to make my way out. "I'm flying back to Washington tomorrow." He said to me, in a tone that made it seem as though it hadn't really hit him how soon he was leaving LA. "I've got an early flight. So I guess I'll see you sometime… if I ever come here again."
"Yeah," I stepped forward and shook his hand, was surprised to find that I didn't feel waves of hate spewing towards him. In all honesty, he was just a regular guy who made a big mistake many years ago, and now he was paying for it. He didn't deserve Terry. And she didn't deserve to be hurt by him again. My insides clenched as I realized that he was in her apartment trying to bring Terry back to Washington with him. And I couldn't do a thing about that. Strictly speaking, it wasn't my business. "See you, and have a safe flight… See you, Terry."
Terry didn't say anything but nodded at me understandingly, knowing the reason why I was leaving. She didn't get up when I walked out the door, but before I closed it, I heard her speaking in a very still voice, "Tom… I know I've been putting this off for a long time, but we really need to talk…"
I went home that night feeling worried that Terry hadn't called me yet. I thought that perhaps they were having a really long talk. I trusted Terry enough to make her own decisions about her marriage and our reformed relationship, but I couldn't trust her husband. That night, I lay on my bed thinking about her, and what my life could be like if I had her in my arms forever.
The next morning was a Sunday, and I was still technically off work. Merrick practically suspended me from the office the day before; and David was still laughing at how much I didn't want to leave. I just needed to sort out the Chambers' file to make sure that all his crimes would be accounted for. But David was now assigned to that, and I was kicked out of the office. Feeling bored and worried that Terry hadn't called me, I drove to a nearby diner and ordered two take-away coffees and two pancake sets.
When I arrived at her apartment, it was still early. Realizing that she was probably still asleep, I used the spare key that she had given me to open her house door. I noted thankfully (and feeling a little guilty that I ever doubted Terry's fidelity) that her husband's coat was gone from the hanger. I stepped in and locked the door behind me, taking in the rinsed cups of coffee drying beside her sink and the empty bottle of beer that was in her trash can.
I settled breakfast on the table and wandered into her bedroom, knowing that she wouldn't mind me being there. Terry was wrapped up in her blankets with the heater switched on; and judging the by box of tissues on her bedside table and the number of scrunched up tissues on the floor, I concluded that she must have cried herself to sleep. My heart was constricted just watching her- I couldn't stand to see her so upset. Terry never was upset for no reason. But I was glad that she was there, asleep in her room, instead of in Washington with the man she married so many years ago.
I took off my coat and shoes and crept into the bed beside her. Terry shifted and opened her eyes, but didn't say a word when she saw me there. I pulled the blankets up to cover us both, and put my arms around her. She sniffled and buried her head into my chest. We were both silent for a few minutes. Terry did not cry, but I could see that she was holding back tears.
"I feel so stupid." She said, her voice sounding incredibly nasal. I yanked out a tissue and handed it to her. Terry blew her nose and settled her head back on my chest. "I shouldn't be so miserable. We talked, and it was alright… I told him that I couldn't go back to him after… after what he did, and he didn't say anything for a long time. Then he told me he was sorry."
I squeezed her shoulder gently, glad to feel her warmth so close to me. Terry blew her nose again and continued. "But I couldn't… I couldn't forgive him. How did he expect me to forgive him? He told me that I could join the FBI office in Washington… and that I could move in with him. He said that he could sort everything out really quickly b-because he wanted us to be together again. And then I couldn't talk. Then he started talking about wanting a family again and I couldn't take it anymore so I… I told him that I was seeing someone else, and that I couldn't go back to him because I could never forgive him." She grasped my hand tightly before blowing her nose again. "And he… he looked at me strangely and he said 'Is it your partner?' I couldn't lie to him, Don… I just couldn't. But he didn't act angry or anything… he just drank up the rest his coffee and told me that he should leave. I didn't stop him."
I lay with her until the sun came up and shone brightly through her curtains. I knew that Terry felt guilty that she might have hurt her husband. I wondered how she could be so compassionate. But that was done. A week, Terry flew to Washington to officially annul her marriage. She was quiet for a few days when she returned. However… it was soon after that when we realized that we could actually be a normal couple again.
And it felt good.
&&&&
About three weeks after Terry's husband flew back to Washington for good, I was sitting in the office going over the report for a fraud case that David and I wrapped up the day before. It wasn't five o' clock yet when my phone rang. I didn't recognize the number, but I answered it anyway, only half paying attention.
"Don Eppes?" The guy on the other end of the line spoke in a voice that sounded very familiar. "Uh… this is Tom. We-we've met a couple of times before. I… I am, I mean was, Terry's husband."
Now that got my attention. I stopped staring at the report and started chewing on my bottom lip. Why was he calling? I wondered. Was something wrong? Did Terry ask him to call? "Oh yeah, hi…" I had no idea what to say. He probably knew that I was aware of when his marriage was annulled, and I didn't want to rub salt on any new wounds. "So… how's Washington?"
"It's fine." He paused, and then sighed. "I'm still getting used to it. We went through the annulment so quickly that I almost didn't realize what I was doing. But now I understand… Look, I know Terry's probably told you about why we were separated… and I know that I made a very stupid mistake back then. There's nothing that can excuse me. Terry's a wonderful person; and I was the idiot who made her unhappy for a very long time."
"Hold it… Why are you calling?" I couldn't let him beat around the bush with me much longer or else I would burst. I was biting down so hard on my lip that if I pressed any harder, it probably would have bled.
"I know that you and Terry are… together." He spoke hesitantly, but in a way that showed that he had planned his words before calling. I could tell that he struggled to get those words out. "And I'm happy for the both of you, really. I- I just called because I wanted to tell you that… that from what I know you're much smarter than me, and that you probably won't make the same stupid mistake that I made. But I'm just telling you- treat her well, and you will be a very happy man... Terry's a special woman, and I was so stupid to let her go. I want her to have a good life now, even if that means I'm not sharing it with her. I called because… I just wanted to ask you to take care of her, and to please keep her happy… She deserves it."
My throat was stuck. But before I could answer, I heard the click of the phone being put down on the other end. Tom had hung up, unable to speak to me any longer. In an almost cowardly way, I was relieved. I didn't think that I could say anything to him after that. He did love her; that much was for certain. But we both did something very similar in the past- both of us let Terry go when we had her. He was telling me not to make his mistake, not knowing that I had already made that mistake. The only difference was that I didn't cheat on her.
The phone call made me even more determined to make things work with Terry. She made me happy, and I wanted to make her happy too. In a weird way, talking to her ex-husband paved the way to marital happiness for us both.
Who would have thought?
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It's strange sometimes, what cards life throws at you. Like how I keep thinking that Terry's kidnapping was what brought us together, and strengthened my relationship with my brother. I don't think I ever truly understood what went on in that whirring brain of Charlie's until he helped me on that case. I learnt that there was much more to that man than just numbers. He was willing to risk everything to save the life of the woman I loved, and I will always be indebted to him for that. I had always thought that my brother never understood people, because he always avoided social contact whenever he could. But now I realize that that's because Charlie doesn't need to talk to millions of people to know the bare elements of the human psyche. He recognized the basic good and bad in all people, and he was willing to accept all of them as mere variables in an infinitely long equation that we call life.
About two weeks before Michael Chambers was due to be sentenced for his crimes, which included thirty counts of murder, two counts of abduction, possession of concealed weapons, possession of drugs with intent to sell, ten counts of attempted murder as well as resisting arrest, something quite unexpected occurred. As David informed me a few weeks before, Chambers had been shot in the shoulder and in the spine, and was confined to a bed whilst he recovered from his internal injuries. However, fate dealt him a tough blow. Due to his inability to move, Chambers spent a lot of time each day in the same position, which led to blood clots forming in his arms and legs. After a while, the clots prevented blood from flowing from his extremities back to his heart. Although the doctors tried everything to save him, Michael Chambers died soon after from cardiac arrest. I still think it's kind of ironic how the doctors were doing the right thing by trying to save their patient, who happened to be a psychopathic killer who took thirty lives.
Needless to say, his death came as quite a shock to all of us. Even though the state was planning to stick a needle into his arm anyway, it seemed a little unfortunate that Chambers died before he was officially sentenced for his crimes. I didn't believe that he should have such an easy way out, but Terry was the one who told me that he got what he deserved. Even though Chambers hit her, kidnapped her, murdered a man she cared about, and shot at her co-workers, Terry wasn't bitter about what happened to her. It took a while, but a day came when she accepted the terrible ordeal that she went through. Strangely enough, I took a lot longer to come to terms with it. I guess that just shows the difference between Terry and me.
Steve Hunter was the only man in Chambers' gang who survived the raid. He recovered as the doctors predicted, and was soon able to walk again. Hunter was sentenced three weeks after Chambers' death for fifteen counts of murder, three counts of abduction, possession of a concealed weapon, and burglary- just to name a few. He was killed by lethal injection a few months later.
Those events keep playing through my head like an old movie that I watch over and over- some of the characters keep getting blurrier the more I watch the movie, some voices are slowly drowned out, and some scenes no longer seem important. Yet, there are always the classic moments that stay with you forever: the support that you get when all hope seems diminished, the beautiful heroine who was saved from certain death, and the end, there's always a happy ending. The part where everyone gets weepy and you're sure it sounds so good that it could never happen to you.
But I got my beautiful heroine, and the happy ending was ours to share...
So I guess some fairy tales do come true after all.
&&&&
Terry was due to return to the office a two months after she was released from the hospital, but we both knew that we could not be lovers and continue being partners. It would be dangerous for both of us; being personally involved with each other might affect our judgment on the field and we didn't want to take that kind of risk. It took quite a bit of talking and even more hard thinking, but in the end, Terry decided that she would resign from the FBI. It was a mutual decision, although I felt a little guilty that she had to give up her job for the sake of our relationship. But of course, life dealt us another unexpected surprise.
Terry started having morning sickness three weeks after her resignation. She had been looking for another job, and had a few interviews scheduled for the weeks ahead. We both dismissed it for food poisoning or something general like that and didn't really pay much attention to her daily nausea until it went on unfailingly for two weeks. Terry went to the doctor, where she was given anti-nausea pills and a pregnancy test. She did the test, and realized ten seconds later that she was pregnant.
Four weeks pregnant to be precise, according to the doctor. I couldn't believe it. I was going to be a father, and Terry a mother. It seemed way too good to be true. But amazingly enough, it was true. We told my dad and Charlie our news one night after dinner at my childhood home, and I remember seeing my father's jaw practically drop to the ground. Charlie was speechless for a very long time. Terry and I could not stop laughing at them. We were so happy.
Of course my father insisted that we marry soon. He was ecstatic about the idea of officially having grandchildren, but wanted us to get married before the child was born. We were planning to marry anyway, so we just pushed the date a few months earlier. Throughout our discussion, Charlie hid away in his basement and emerged about two hours later with some very long and very complicated equations that would determine the probable genetic makeup of our baby. Dad looked at him as though he was daft, but I knew that that was his way of showing Terry and I that he was happy for us.
We had a small wedding at a church near Charlie's house. I have so many photos from that day, but the best photos are the ones I took in my head. Terry wore a simple silk gown, strapless and white, that hugged her eight-weeks-pregnant body beautifully. I wore my suit, the one that I usually hated to wear but was incredibly willing to put it on that day. I wanted everything to be perfect. And it was. We invited just a few people- Dad, Charlie, Amita, Larry, Terry's parents and her brother, David, Merrick (who showed up, surprisingly enough), and a few mutual friends from the Academy. Charlie gave a speech that made everyone's eyes just a little misty. Somehow or other he managed to throw in an equation or two that he had used to calculate how happy we would be in our married life. I hope he wasn't lying when he said that the numbers showed that we would be the happiest couple on earth. But I doubt he was. Charlie can't tell a lie to save his life.
After the wedding, Terry moved into my apartment. We both knew that eventually we would have to get a bigger place, what with the baby due in seven months. Luckily the two of us had enough money stowed away after working for ten years and living alone for most of that time. We used some of our savings to purchase a house near Charlie's place. It was a lot like the house I grew up in, but with a slightly smaller garden and of course, no blackboards in the basement.
It was like a dream come true.
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Terry was five months pregnant when she finally found a new job that she knew she'd be happy with. She had had enough action with the FBI and was looking forward to a quieter occupation, with no incredibly stressful searches for escaped felons or hardened criminals stalking her. So she chose to use her psychology degree for a slightly more hands-on purpose. Charlie and Larry helped, actually, to bump her up the interview list at CalSci. Not that it was really necessary. After the dean and other professors heard of Terry's extensive experience dealing with psychological disorders, they practically hired her on the spot to fill the position of college counsellor. However I think her training and ability to handle potentially violent individuals might have played a part in the ease in which she received her new employment.
Terry started work two weeks after her interview, and was pleasantly surprised to find how much she enjoyed her new profession. She met with Charlie and Larry for lunch every working day, and her new job was another thing that made me closer to my younger brother. The students found her very approachable, and so did members of staff. Terry was very happy with her position, and was just a little sad when she was told she had to take a month off before our baby was due. She is such a tiny lady, and when her belly started to seriously expand she looked a little out of proportion.
I remember the day our daughter arrived so clearly it seemed like it happened just the day before. It was quite a day. It was a particularly hot summer's afternoon, and I had been waiting outside an interrogation room where David was trying to lead a suspect to a confession. So far it looked like everything was going according to plan. The man sitting opposite David was sweating and shooting worried looks to his attorney with every statement that was sent his way. I glanced at my watch and saw that it was half past six. Well, once we got the confession we could hand over to the LAPD and look forward to the weekend off. We had spent a lot of time on the case, and everyone in the office was anxious for some well-deserved personal time.
It must have been the second that our suspect said "Alright, alright! I'll tell you what happened…" when my cell phone rang. I answered it quickly, thinking that maybe it was the LAPD detective who helped us arrest the perspiring man inside the interrogation room. But to my surprise, it was my brother who had called me. He told me that he and Amita were on the way to the hospital with Terry, and that she was having some serious contractions. I remember my mind going completely blank the moment he spoke. I looked back into the interrogation room and saw David switching the tape recorder off. He had gotten the confession, and our suspect was being handcuffed, the sweat still pouring down his forehead. David had a manic grin on his face.
Someone was calling my name but I was in a daze. A few seconds had passed before I realised that Charlie was still on the phone. I said "I'll be there in a minute" before hanging up. I ran off to my desk, and grabbed my jacket. I recall pulling David aside and telling him that Terry was in labour and I would have to leave. I drove to the hospital like a crazy man, probably abusing my authority as an FBI agent and breaking every traffic law in the books. I wouldn't recommend doing that to any other potential fathers. I ran up to the reception, breathless, and asked for Terry. The receptionist saw my badge and gun and assumed immediately that I was there on FBI business. She yelled for a nurse to show me to the floor where Terry was in labour. I didn't bother to correct her error; I just rushed along with the nurse.
By the time I reached the room, I was sure my brain had fried from overwork. Charlie and Amita were standing outside with nervous expressions on their faces. Both opened their mouths to say something to me at the same time, but before the words could come out; there was the sound of wailing coming from inside the room. All of us froze, including the nurse.
The rest, as we say, is history. My daughter, Lindsey Amelia Eppes, was born on the hottest day of summer four years ago, on the same day that the Los Angeles FBI arrested the men responsible for the biggest fraud case in California in over twenty years.
What an amazing day that was.
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So now I'm half-asleep, lying down beside my wife of almost five years, watching the sun rise through our yellow curtains. It's a cold day, which is why she's snuggled deep in the blankets, her hands on my chest. Terry's still asleep, although she will wake up soon when I climb off the bed to get ready for work. She always gets up to make me breakfast.
About two weeks ago, a suspect on the run took a shot at me during a raid. Luckily for me the shot came from about fifteen feet away and I was wearing a Kevlar vest. I just got a bruise where the bullet made impact, but when one of my co-workers called Terry at CalSci to tell her that I had been shot, she almost had a heart attack. A few phone calls later she found out that although a bullet hit me, I was barely hurt. It was a scare, nonetheless, and we both knew that we had to expect more of these scares. Even when Terry and I worked on the field together we were frightened for each other's safety. I suppose the fear was magnified now because we could no longer actively protect each other at work, and we had a child to worry about.
I touched Terry's face gently, enjoying the feel of her arms around me. I didn't want her to worry about me continuously when I was at work, although I knew she would. That was part of being with the FBI. I wondered how Dad and Charlie handled their anxiety when I first started with Billy Cooper in Fugitive Recovery. I almost never saw them because I was on the road every day. But now I'm glad that I've settled down with Terry, and with our daughter. My life wouldn't have been complete without them.
So this morning I run my hand down her cheek slowly, seeing her eyes open and sparkle at me. Sometimes I still can't believe how I managed to marry the most incredible woman in LA. I still remember that night at my apartment, when I lured her there with promises of chocolate ice cream and we ended up dancing the night away to old romantic songs. That was the turning point in my life. Terry helped me to remember what I cherished most.
Lindsey is a great kid. She's four now, and seems to be showing some Charlie-ish abilities at math. A few days ago, I saw her writing some huge numbers down on paper and multiplying them together in her head. A huge sense of deja vu hit me when I watched her multiply 34543 with 23433 mentally, and I suddenly remembered how my three year old brother was able to do my junior school math homework. I called Charlie that night and made him come over to assess the situation. Terry laughed and said that I looked faint when I heard such large numbers coming out of my daughter's mouth. But it's alright. I have Charlie to guide her, and hopefully she won't notice that her father is a complete bum at math.
Speaking of which… a small figure appears at our doorway, holding a small stuffed animal in her hand and wearing her Winnie the Pooh pajamas. Lindsey inherited Terry's blonde hair, but she has my eyes. She scrambles on the bed as quick as her little legs can carry her and pushes her teddy bear into my face.
"Hello," Lindsey says, snuggling in between her parents. "I'm hungry, Daddy." She says, giving me the most adorable puppy-dog look in the world. Terry shifts off my chest and strokes Lindsey's hair affectionately.
"Alright, I'll get you some breakfast, Lin." I tickle her until she falls off the bed laughing and push the blankets off me and onto Terry. "Run off to the kitchen and I'll see you there."
Lindsey giggles and skips out of the room. I can't hide my smile as I bent over Terry and give her a kiss, slipping my hand underneath the quilt to rub her rapidly growing bump. We hadn't decided yet when to tell Lindsey that she might soon have a younger brother or sister, but it could wait a few more weeks.
"I'll see you for dinner." I say, and give her another quick kiss before hopping off the bed. Terry smiles at me and pulls the blankets over herself. I steal one last glance at her before heading into the bathroom, a smile plastered on my unshaven face.
I brush my teeth and look at the man in the mirror, who's staring back as me. He's almost forty, has worry lines on his forehead as well as laughter lines next to his eyes. I shake my head and continue brushing my teeth, thinking-
I am living in my very own fairy tale.
END
THE END! Sob and sniffle and tear and weep and all those words that describe crying… I'm actually really sad to finally end this story. I hope that everyone enjoyed it thoroughly! This chapter took a really long time to be finished because I kept on writing and re-writing bits to make it as close to what I wanted as possible. I really hope that everyone likes how the story turned out!
Well I don't currently have any story ideas for fanfiction and I probably won't write until I get one and plan it for a while. So if anyone has any great story outlines maybe they could share?
For now… the story More than meets the eye and the author microcurie say 'goodbye!' to all the wonderful readers and reviewers. It's truly been a pleasure writing my first fanfic!
And before I finally stop rambling… I'd just like to thank everyone again for their support! So… THANK YOU ALL READERS AND REVIEWERS! You guys really make my day.
Microcurie