Bette thought that the whole incident was something better recounted once she and Tina were face-to-face – at least she’d be able to assure her that they had all survived the attack.  She could admit then, to the blonde, that her heart had been racing the whole time, of course, but, ultimately, the point was they’d all made it back to the base camp in one piece.

Meanwhile, Mike was recuperating quickly, and was able to sit up, even walk around some.  The morning after the second mission, she and Mike had gone over the documents and photos, and he was also convinced that Bette had done a great job in pulling together what he and the team had needed.

“Once again, we’re in your debt, Bette,” he’d said gratefully, hugging her.  Except for the specialist member of the team, everyone else was also recovering well.  As she and Mike had finished their quick meeting, those who were able to had gathered around Bette also, hugging her, and thanking her for helping them.

She’d been touched by their heartfelt gratitude, but confessed she was eager to get back to Tina.

“You guys will have to think of something special to thank Tina, too, you know,” she said.  “She’s kept a brave front, has been encouraging, supportive … hasn’t uttered one word of complaint.”

“We know, Bette,” Mike said, as the other guys nodded their heads. “We’ll actually never be able to make things up with her, probably.  First, our ill-timed decision to pull you out of France literally from her bed; now pulling you out here just as you and her are going on your honeymoon…”

“Well…my wife would have never let me hear the end of it, if people had done all that to us,” one agent muttered.

“You got that right,” another one agreed.

“Trust me. I’ve got my thinking cap on,” Mike told Bette, glancing at the others, who nodded, “and I promise you we’ll come up with something.”

“I owe her, too, Mike,” Bette responded, ruefully, “but you guys have a whole other scale of “thank you” to work through!”

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A day after Cheryl returned to the US compound, Bette had managed to grab a seat on an unscheduled helicopter flight back to the compound.  The team Brom had arranged to provide her personal security was flying back to prepare for another assignment, now that Bette was near the end of her work in the field.