Chapter Three

                                    

                                          
The next day went pretty much the same as yesterday. I spent it in the lab, working on my own research. Hank said all other research could be put on hold for the time being since we were recruited to stop WWIII so that gave me plenty of time to work on my own thesis. Charles got me out of going to my classes but at the end of it, I still had work to hand in. I would have my undergrad after this year but I still had another two years to go if I wanted to get my masters and then my doctorate in physics. 
                          
I took a quick break around supper time for something to eat but other than that, I remained in the lab. Hank was with me for a while, working on his own project, but even he called it quits after supper. He went to the rec room to hang out with the others. I thought about joining them and it lingered in the back of my mind but I stayed put. 
                          
It was later that night, around 9:30, I sighed and stood up from my desk. I'd been sitting for a while and needed to stretch my legs. My mind wandered back to what the others could be getting up to in the games room. They were probably more relaxed than what they were last night but they were still probably having fun. I looked down at my research again and contemplated. It wouldn't hurt to just peek in on what they were doing and possibly join in this time. If anything, I could at least tell Charles that they behaved.
                          
I took off my lab coat and hung it up on my way out of my office. Raven told me yesterday that stepping out of my shell and hanging out with everyone was good for team building. I suppose she's right. A team requires trust between each person and you can't put your trust in someone if they keep to themselves.
                          
I quietly entered the rec room and saw Alex and Darwin playing pinball. The other four were sitting on the sofas – Angel and Raven on one, Hank and Sean on the other. I looked beyond them and saw that the window that looked over the courtyard was replaced and was surprised that the CIA were able to do that so quickly. 
                          
"Uh... Hi..." I was quiet like normal but the room was so silent, they didn't have trouble hearing me.
                          
"Fallon, hey... Why don't you come join us?" Raven suggested and pointed to the leather chair to the left of her. I smiled and sat down.
                          
"No book today?" Angel asked, gesturing to my empty hands.
                          
I shook my head no and smiled shyly, "I thought... I thought maybe I'd try to get to know you guys a little better." 
                          
"Fabulous." Sean said happily and lazed back into the sofa, his arm across the top. "What would you like to know?"
                          
"Oh... uh... I haven't really thought of any particular questions." 
                          
We fell into silence after that and I couldn't help but wonder if coming here made them uncomfortable or not. It was certainly making me uncomfortable but that could be because I felt I had to speak but didn't know what to say. I finally opened my mouth to say something but two agents were walking by the window. They stopped right in front when they peered in, saw us and one of them knocked on the window.
                          
"Oh hey! I didn't know the circus was in town." One said obnoxiously and then started flapping his arms like wings, "Hey honey, give us a little...whoosh, whoosh, whoosh... No? How about you show me the sun?" He asked me next and I looked to my gloved hands. "Come on, let's see the foot." 
                          
Hank stood up and went over to the window to close the curtains, blocking their view of us. I was thankful for him doing so but the damage was done. Those few words made us all feel awful in our skin. It felt exactly as they said, like a circus – especially since we were stuck behind a pane of glass like at the zoo.
                          
"They're just guys being stupid." Raven said, trying to make us all feel better.
                          
"Guys being stupid I can handle. I've handled that my whole life, okay? But I'd rather guys stare at me with my clothes off than the way these ones stare at me." Angel said, clearly hurt.