Hello!

Thank you again for reading and for getting this far in the story! I really hope you're enjoying so far! Don't forget to vote and comment to let me know what you think! <3

Love, Luckycharms! :)



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Thea was excited for dinner and the fact that it would be all paid for by General Killian certainly made up for the missed birthday wish.

However, as Milo and Thea packed up, getting ready to head down to where they were all meeting to go out for dinner together, the door to their office swung open and in came Luana and Colonel Jaylen. "Change of plans, guys," Luana said. "It's pouring like crazy outside."

Milo and Thea looked at each other. "Why does that change our plans?" Milo asked.

"I had the genius idea of taking the party elsewhere," Colonel Jaylen said. "We'll grab Julian and he can drive us."

Thea hesitated. "Where... might I ask?"

"Niall's place," the Colonel grinned.







The General came to the door rather quickly and when it swung open he was greeted by the sight of his mismatched group. Confused and still looking as if he was getting dressed, his white shirt only half buttoned up, he raised a brow. After turning and glancing at the grandfather clock in his apartment, he looked back at them before frowning and saying, "I'm not late."

"No, you're good," Colonel Jaylen said, pushing past him and walking right in. "We just decided to come to you."

"What's going on? I thought we were meeting at the main entrance of Achlis?"

"It's pouring outside," Luana responded, following her superior in. "We can't really drive in that area of Downtown, and we didn't want to walk down to the bar. We're ladies, and our hair would be destroyed in that kind of weather. So Julian drove us here."

The General watched the two women before he took a deep breath and let it out loudly. "That still doesn't explain what you're doing here," he said, though it was clear to everyone that he already knew what was going on.

"We're moving the party here," Colonel Jaylen, who was already helping herself to the alcohol, said with a grin. "You've got the most space and the most alcohol after all. Besides, you were going to pay anyway so what does it matter?"

General Killian put a hand over his face before turning his head and looking at the rest of the team. The rest of them were at least trying to be a little respectful, waiting for him to invite them in.

Thea couldn't hide that she was absolutely horrified, standing there with wide eyes and furrowed brows. "I'm so sorry..." she started, feeling the need to put the blame on herself since this was her birthday. "We don't need–"

"It's fine," The General responded, sighing and clearly giving in. "Come in."

Julian walked in first, giving the General a friendly nod and Milo followed right after, looking like he was trying to hold back laughter.

"I'm so sorry General Killi–"

"Niall," he said firmly as he opened the door a little wider. "We aren't working right now."

Thea hesitated.

"Oh come on now," he let out a quick, humored huff. "It's your birthday, get in here and have some drinks before Kaya and Luana finish them all. Believe me, they will. They've done it plenty of times before."

Thea felt her heart lighten a little and she smiled before nodding her head and walking in.







To Thea's surprise, they were actually having a very good time. The group was sitting on the expensive couches in Niall's large living room, around a table that was now filled with food that Niall and Julian and trekked through the storm for. The food was great, the drinks were great, the people were great and even the environment was great.

Niall's apartment was quite the sight and though Thea had not seen most of it, she could tell that it was huge and rather luxurious seeing as there were beautiful paintings, expensive furniture and all sorts of nice looking things around the place. There was even a glorious black grand piano behind where Thea was sitting, gleaming under the lights despite being currently ignored by all the guests.

She wondered many times throughout the evening if Niall played. He didn't seem like a pianist, so her first assumption was that it was probably just for decoration. Of course, that wouldn't be something strange for a man as rich and powerful as Niall Killian.

By the time it got dark, Thea had a few drinks herself, but Luana and Kaya were completely drunk, speaking loudly and telling stories as the rest of them listened and laughed. She found it wonderful how comfortable those girls were... how they didn't care at all and just wanted to have fun.

She wished that she could be that easy going.

She really did try, but she couldn't, no matter how hard she tried. But who could really blame her? She was in the home of the General of the Aiverian army and even with a few drinks in her, she had a lot on her mind... like Rue and Vetori's request and potential A.N.U. graduates who may know her. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't help but be a little on edge, even if she was at a little birthday party for her.

It also didn't really help that the General was sitting not too far from her.

Thea looked over at the General, who was sitting in the armchair next to hers. He was leaning towards her, his elbow pressed against the arm of the chair and a glass of whisky in his hand. He was watching Kaya tell the story of some time when she decided to give some higher up a piece of their mind because he was misogynistic and just a plain jerk.

Thea was surprised by how amused the General seemed despite the fact that he was usually so put together and seemed rather hell bent about rules and regulations and order. She had to actually remind herself that sure, he was the General and Deputy Secretary of Defense... but he was also a real person.

Surprisingly, it was that reminder that allowed her to settle down a little bit and note that he really did have a nice smile when he was relaxed, and it still baffled her to think that Milo and Luana disagreed with her belief that the man was handsome.

He was handsome.

He was incredibly handsome!

Though Thea wasn't watching him for a very long time, the man definitely noticed her, his head turning towards her and his green eyes catching hers. "Is everything alright?"

Caught off guard, Thea stuttered a little. "O-oh... I... well..." she hesitated, trying to think of something to say as she pushed her rather intrusive thoughts about the man being handsome out of her mind. "I... don't think I've mentioned it yet... but you have a very lovely home. It's decorated beautifully."

It really was.

It was lovelier than any home she had ever been in.

Niall blinked, seeming to not have expected the compliment. "Why thank you," he said. "But none of it is mine, really."

"It isn't?"

Niall shook his head with a frown. "Well, most of it isn't. Some of the little trinkets are mine, but the only things of value here that are mine would be the piano... and the books," he said. "Everything else belongs to the State."

That made sense. She assumed his home was kind of like hers at the hostel... just... much more expensive and large. She turned and looked at the beautiful piano which sat before the large shelves of books. "Do you play a lot?"

"Not really," he said to her. "Sometimes."

When she looked back at him, she became more curious. "Are you not allowed to decorate?"

"I am," he said before taking a sip of his whiskey. "I just never really cared to do so. It looks fine as it is... though rather gaudy."

Thea nodded slowly as she looked straight ahead to above the loveseat that Julian was sitting on. There was a massive painting over it which was a beautiful landscape of a mountainous horizon. "So that means all of these paintings too... they're not yours?"

He shook his head. "I was never really interested in art."

"Don't you think it would make you a lot happier if your home was a little more...homely?" Thea asked. "You know... more to your taste?"

He pondered the question a little and then pulled up the corner of his mouth in a shrug. "I suppose... but I don't exactly care for that. I'm rarely home anyways, afterall."

Yes, he definitely wasn't usually home. Niall was almost always working.

But despite him saying that, Thea couldn't help but think that since Niall was always so glum, maybe a way to help lighten his spirits would be some redecorating. Having a nice place that you like to come home to always made her feel so much better after a rough day.

Sure, his place was certainly nice... but he didn't seem to make it look like it was his home.

However, before she could insist that he get himself a houseplant or two, Kaya stood up rather dramatically, drawing everyone's attention to her. "Alright, the rain looks like it's let out! Let's head out to the bar!"

"You better be joking," Niall responded. "Julian and I suffered through the storm to grab food and more drinks so none of you have to."

"But don't you think a post-rain walk would be nice?" Kaya asked.

"No," Julian and Niall said together.

Thea chuckled.

"Your opinion doesn't matter," Kaya argued. "Let's ask the birthday girl."

Her smile faded. She still wasn't entirely comfortable with Kaya, seeing as they barely had any opportunities to work together, so despite the fact that she heard plenty of good things about the women from Luana herself, she still felt a little nervous when talking to her. "I... wouldn't mind."

"That's a yes!" Kaya grinned. "Let's go!"

Niall rolled his eyes but before he could say anything else, Kaya was already putting her shoes on, the excited Luana following close behind her.

Unsurprisingly however, this didn't last as long as Thea had expected. By the time they were only a few minutes away from the bar, Kaya had gotten too tired and too drunk and decided to call it a night, seeing as the next day was a work day.

Niall seemed to have seen this coming, complaining a little bit as Julian offered to drive Kaya home. As they walked back to Julian's car, however, Luana also decided to call it a night and since they passed the street she lived on, she headed off as well. Next it was Milo, and finally, when they arrived at the car, Julian and Niall helped Kaya in before sending them off. Of course Julian offered to take Thea home too, but it was in the opposite direction and Niall was walking that way anyway, so she chose to let Niall take her home when he offered. His apartment was only a few minutes away from Achlis after all.

And that was that. Her birthday party had come to an end and though it was a silly way to end, she still had a good time.

Now Thea and Niall were walking home alone, a surprising turn of events. Initially, the thought made Thea nervous as she realized she didn't really know what to talk to him about. However, she soon found his presence rather comforting, especially since he wasn't really acting like the General he was. They didn't talk about work or anything of the sort, instead, they talked about other things, like what school was like for Thea, and how she managed to finish a rigorous four year program in two.

She wasn't entirely honest with him, not feeling particularly comfortable with the idea of divulging everything, but what she did tell him was that A.N.U. wasn't a particularly comfortable or welcoming place to be. She said that she hadn't really made any friends and didn't like the environment. She just wanted to go home, and that was why she sped through it all, even though that made her experience all the worse.

Of course, she didn't mention Adrien.

She hoped that she'd never have to mention him to anyone... ever.

"How are you finding it here then?" he asked her, snapping her out of the negativity that began to overwhelm her when she thought of Adrien. "You're back in the Capital, but under different circumstances."

"I really genuinely thought that I was going to hate it again, and I was actually rather intimidated by the thought of moving here. But surprisingly... I like it here a lot this time around," she said, honestly. "My friends and family back at home don't believe it when I tell them this, but I've warmed up to the place. Of course, I know it's most likely because I've made such wonderful friends this time around. You know, Luana and Milo, and even Julian... they're wonderful, and that does make everything so much better."

"Good," Niall said. "We've got a good group... great people on our team, and I'm glad you see that."

Thea smiled at the man. "You're a good boss too," she said. "That also certainly helps."

To that, he chuckled. "Well, I'm happy to hear that. I do try."

"I'll be honest, I was a little scared of you at first... but I'm starting to see what Julian meant about you."

Niall raised a brow. "What did Julian say?"

Thea laughed a little. "To keep it simple, he said that you're a good boss and that you care a lot about the people who work for you."

He rolled his eyes. "Julian is too nice sometimes," he said. "Too nice and extremely loyal."

"Yeah, I can see that too," Thea responded.

It was after another moment that they arrived in front of the large doors of the building that Niall lived in and he decided then to get his car so he could drive her the rest of the way home since it was looking like it would start raining again soon. When he returned with the car, she got into the passenger seat and was surprised by Niall holding out a long little box. "I'm glad we came to get the car. I nearly forgot to bring you this."

"What is it?" She asked, taking it from him.

"This is from Aari," Niall said. "I know you haven't had a chance to work with him yet, but you will eventually. And he wanted to give you a gift for your birthday."

"Oh..." she was surprised, intrigued by the fact that the stranger who was in charge of the Screeching Crow Camp would want to get her a present. Nevertheless, it was a kind gesture and she was happy to receive it. When she opened it, her eyes widened and her smile grew at the sight of a beautiful black fountain pen. It looked expensive, though not too expensive, but the best part was that Thea loved pens. She loved collecting all sorts of pretty pens and she had done so ever since she was a child.

This Aari person certainly managed to pick her the perfect gift.

"This is wonderful. I absolutely love it," she said, smiling widely as she removed the cap and examined the detailed gold nib on the pen. "I'm assuming that I won't be seeing him any time soon, so please send him my thanks."

"I will," he said. "I'm sure he'll be happy to know you liked it." Before Thea could thank the General however, the man handed her another wrapped present as well as a small envelope. "This one is from myself," he said. "Nothing special... just a little something you may like."

Baffled by the fact that he got her something, little or not, she gawked. "From you?"

"Don't act so surprised," he gave her a smile that seemed a little embarrassed... which was certainly unusual coming from the constantly brooding General. "I'm a normal human being when I'm not working, you know. I can be friendly and give gifts."

She laughed at that. "I hate to admit it, but I do forget that sometimes."

"Trust me, everyone does."

Chuckling and certainly believing that, she looked down at the present, excited. Thea then proceeded to unwrap it and found within the paper a thick book, the cover of which made her eyes widen. "The Stag and the Crow?" She looked up at Niall, "how... this book..." This book, an honest history of the Civil War written by an Elorian author who was mysteriously found dead a few months after publishing it, was a banned book that you couldn't find literally anywhere. Thea had certainly tried looking for it already, knowing well that it was a book that the State feared and wanting to know what exactly made them so fearful.

Of course, she technically already knew, knowing well that the State simply didn't want their crimes and losses that all Elorians knew of to be recorded in print format for all to see. Nevertheless, she still wanted to read it herself. Who knows how many interesting things that she knew nothing about would be in here. "How did you manage to get your hands on this?"

"I'm the General of the Aiverian Army and the Deputy Secretary of Defense."

Of course.

"When you're in my position, you have access to things most people don't have."

Thea gawked for a little longer as she flipped through the book before looking back at Niall. "Thank you so much... I've always wanted to read this."

"You certainly seemed like the type who would," he said, immediately reminding Thea of the time Milo and Luana said that the General was very good at figuring people out. "I'm glad I trusted my instinct with this one, but please be careful with it. No one needs to know you have it."

She nodded eagerly. "Of course," she said. "My lips are sealed, I promise."

He laughed a small laugh, further revealing a side to him that Thea was surprised to see. Seeing him like this, not in his uniform and seeming so serious, but instead in a loose white shirt with his top button unbuttoned and his sleeves rolled up looking rather casual and laid back... Thea found herself feeling rather comfortable. Comfortable and relaxed. "But there's one more part," he suddenly added, pointing at the envelope. "It's less of a gift but something you will be happy to see"

Excited now more than ever, she carefully ripped the envelope open and revealed a small card. It had her picture on it, the same picture on her new identification card, but as Thea looked closely at it, reading the words, she gasped.

It was an access card to the Aiverian State Library and Archives.

"I mentioned that I would give you access to this once you started working here... it took longer than I had anticipated to get your access approved but it was still faster than it would have been for most other people."

Thea gawked once again. Access to ASLA was extremely limited and highly policed seeing as it was the largest and most all encompassing library in the State. It had all sorts of confidential documents, newspapers, books and so much more. Scholars around the nation were always trying and failing to get access yet here she was, a young nobody with a card that most lifelong scholars dreamed of.

"This is amazing!" Thea gasped as she looked at Niall with a wide smile. "Thank you so much!"

"You don't need to thank me. I am well aware of the fact that this will help you help us," he said, "so make use of it as much as you'd like."

Though deep down she knew that it wouldn't be appropriate, she wanted very badly to hug him and it was her less rational self that won thanks the alcohol in her, allowing her to push away the formalities just long enough for her to reach over and wrap her arms around the Generals shoulders. It was a short and very quick hug, but it was a hug nonetheless. "Thank you so much!"

The General seemed rather surprised by her touch but didn't question it. Instead, he simply responded with "I'm glad you like it," after she pulled away.

When the General pulled in front of the hostel, Thea thanked him once more with a lot of excitement before stepping out of the car and rushing up the steps of the hostel. When she got to the door and tried to open it, however, she saw that it was locked.

Surprised and suddenly worried, she looked down at her watch. It was past twelve and she only now remembered that Mrs. Karse locked the doors at midnight because of the curfew she set.

A rush of embarrassment filled her as she stared at the door.

What was she going to do?

She couldn't go back with Niall.

Maybe she could spend the night with Luana?

But what if she was fast asleep?

Turning her head, she looked down to where Niall was parked, seeing that he was waiting for her to go in.

Great. She thought. Despite all the fun she had that night and how happy she was with the gifts he had gotten her, the thought of having to explain to him that she was locked out because her curfew passed made her cheeks warm and a panic rush through her.

However, just as she considered knocking very loudly and risking getting in trouble, she heard a click of the lock and the door slowly and silently creaked open.

On the other side of it was one of her floormates. Her name was Bailey, Thea knew, and she was the only one of the girls who would always smile at Thea whenever she saw her. She had long, very curly brown hair and her green eyes often looked kinder than that of most of the Aiverians. She also wore round glasses, making her look even younger than her curly hair, which was almost always up in a half ponytail and ribbon, made her look. "Hi," she whispered with a smile. "I saw you drive in through my window... I figured you would need someone to open the door."

Relieved, Thea gave the General a wave before smiling back at the girl and stepping in. Bailey shut the door and locked it silently, before taking Thea's hand, holding her finger over her lips to remind her to be quiet, and rushing up the stairs with her.

When they reached their floor, Thea looked at the girl with a grateful smile. "Thank you so much. I completely forgot..."

Bailey grinned. "We all do sometimes," she said. "And sometimes one of us is looking out the window at the right time."

Thea chuckled.

"Happy birthday by the way," she said. "I saw it on the calendar by Mrs. Karse's desk."

"Thank you," Thea smiled.

"I'll let you get to bed," Bailey said, walking with Thea until she reached her own door. "But really Thea, it's been three months and we haven't had a chance to properly get to know each other... maybe on a day when you don't have to rush into work, stay for breakfast with us."

She felt a strange warmth coming from this girl and for some reason, Thea knew she was being genuine. So Thea smiled at her again, happy that she could end an already great day on such a good note. "I will," she said. "Thank you."

With that, Bailey gave her a wave before disappearing behind her own door.

Thea slept well that night... better than she had in a long time.

It was a great day indeed.