Classified

Classified Part 24 What's Scarier than a Terrorist?

      On Monday Thalia called Claire in the office. "Hey, I'm downstairs. You told me to call you when I got here, but I promise, I don't need help." It was true. Her ribs were already started to feel better. She was still cautious about how she moved, but the bruises were fading, and the pain had diminished significantly.

      "Okay, honey. I'll see you in a bit." Claire said cheerfully.
      When the elevator doors opened, Thalia walked out, thinking about her plan for the afternoon. I'll check on my research, see if the funding has come through, and see if Claire and Lindsey want to grab lunch. She decided.

      But as she walked into the lab, everyone stood up and started clapping. Someone whistled loudly, and Doctor Thayer, her mentor, popped open a bottle of champagne.
      'Congratulations, Thalia' was spelled out on the wall. "What's going on?" She asked, feeling her face heat up in shock and pride.

      "Congratulations!" Claire cheered, coming forward to hug her. "This why I wanted to know when you got here."
      "They didn't give us any specifics, but apparently your mission was a success." Doctor Thayer told her, pouring champagne into some glasses.

      Thalia thanked people as they came over to congratulate her before returning to their desks and work stations.
      "We're so proud of you." Doctor Thayer told her, handing her a glass of champagne. "I can't believe you did it!"

      "I can!" Claire said excitedly. "You're a hero!"
      Thalia blushed. "I'm not a hero. I didn't do anything."
      "Of course you did." Claire insisted. "Don't be so modest. I've already heard some of your stories, and even though you downplay your part, I know you played a big role in stopping the attacks."

      Thalia took a hesitant sip of her champagne to avoid responding.
      "Even if you don't believe you're a hero, you're going to be glad for this champagne when I tell you the best news." Doctor Thayer told her with a smile.

      Thalia looked up at him, her mouth opening. "Oh, my god. The funding came through?" She asked, feeling her heart rate speed up. "We got it?"
      "We got it!" Doctor Thayer tapped his champagne flute against hers, beaming.
      "We got it!" Thalia cheered, taking a big gulp of her champagne in her excitement.

      "Take it easy on that." Claire giggled, sipping her champagne. "You've never had alcohol before, Thalia!"
      Thalia laughed and took another sip. "Actually, I drank in Russia." She said, remembering the night with Alex. "But this tastes much better."

      "You drank in Russia?" Claire asked, surprised. "You didn't tell me that."
      "Oh, yeah." Thalia smiled. "Alex and I had a few drinks together one night in St Petersburg."
      "You did?" Claire asked, wide eyed. "I'm surprised at you!" She laughed.
      Thalia shook her head and sipped her champagne. "We had a couple of days off."

      "He turned you into a drunk." Claire teased with a laugh. "What did you do with Alex on your days off? It must have been weird since you don't really know each other."
      Thalia shrugged, trying not to think too hard about Bahba. "I don't know. We knew each other fairly well by then. I can't believe we got our funding!" She said, turning to Doctor Thayer.

      "You deserve it." He smiled.
      "We deserve it." Thalia corrected him. She finished her champagne and set the flute down. "I can't wait to get started."

      "But not today." Thayer told her. "You're still on leave." He smiled and looked at her cast. "Injured while on duty."
      Thalia laughed. "Barely." She turned to Claire. "Is it possible to steal you away for lunch?"

      "Absolutely." Claire laughed and patted her handbag. "I was counting on it, but Lindsey said she's swamped."

      "Okay, I just need to grab some paperwork from my desk, and I'll be right back." Thalia told her. When she made it to her desk she found everything as neatly organized as it had always been. She smiled when she opened a drawer and found two brand new packages of identical blue pens, remembering Alex's comments about her tells.