Jane kept her promise and took it easy at work with her twisted ankle. After dinner, Thor carefully carried her into her office, setting her in the swivel chair in front of her desk. Before she let go of him, she kissed him briefly. "Thank you."
"Call me if you require anything," Thor responded, returning the kiss. Sure that she was comfortable, he left the door to the office open and went out to do the dishes so he could hear her call if she needed something.
Jane took a moment to admire her office's view of the city, then turned her attention to the stack of journals sitting on her desk. She thought about Asgard and the box she'd put together for Indiana. Astrophysics and Archaeology were certainly in each other's space enough nowadays, mostly thanks to Thor's appearance on Earth.
It's been a long time since there was a Foster/Jones collaboration, she mused. She observed the picture in the journal, of herself and Indiana, pictured professionally with the Merlin's Moon they'd recovered. He was looking at the camera, a hand on her shoulder. He'd been really proud. I guess this is a second round, only that - no, because - everything's changed so much.
Jane placed the archaeology journal (still open) carefully atop the stack before turning to her computer and logging into her university e-mail account, reading an unanswered message regarding an intercollegiate discussion about a new field: the study of Asgard. With a half-smile, she noticed that Indiana had also been included in the discussion.
What a scary, new world.
I should be excited about this. I wonder what Indy will say? Does this bother him at all? There's no way to know. We just need to do what's best for science and work together. But why am I so bothered?
She glanced at the open journal again and then lifted herself to her feet, mostly using her arms.
"Thor? I changed my mind. I'd rather keep you company while you do the dishes," she said, limping towards the door. The sink stopped running and the sound of the dishwasher closing could be heard. "Do not walk. I will be there in a moment," Thor called.
Jane paused in the doorway and considered the pain in her foot before looking at the open book. Through her muddied feelings, she had no desire to really close it.
Still, there was no hesitation as she faced the other way abruptly, smiling with arms outstretched towards her husband.
Jane sat in the cramped office, tapping a pen against her lips as she stared at an equation on a page before her. The place was small and quiet, but she didn't know how Indiana was able to think in here. No wonder he never got his papers graded on time. On top of that, it was pretty hot, so she was sitting in there in a tank top and shorts - not exactly her professional research assistant attire. When there was a knock at the door, she said, "come in!" hoping it was the mail. She was waiting for a postcard, at least.
However, it wasn't the student who usually delivered mail to Dr. Jones' office. Instead, it was a rather attractive looking man in his early twenties. And here she was looking totally unprofessional. Jane pulled Indy's suit jacket off of the back of the chair and slipped it on, hoping it would help. Well, it helped her look more adorable, not more professional.
"Is Dr. Jones here?" the man asked.
Oh my God, Jane thought. Irish accent. I should say something. Like, respond. Talk.
The student observed the visitor's icy blue eyes, fair skin, hefty build, and contrastingly dark eyes.
"Pat Flaherty. This is kind of awkward to say because Dr. Jones isn't here, although I'm afraid that's a bit of the problem," he began, accepting Jane's hand. "I've been appointed to cover his classes, possibly on a permanent basis...to be determined in the future...but don't worry, I'm just an adjunct. I don't even get my Ph.D. until May," he admitted. "And your job's safe, at least."
Jane's jaw lowered. She knew people on the board had questioned Indiana's unexpected absences, which is one reason why this trip of his was particularly short.
Jane suspected that she was the other - and considering how things were at Marshall, she'd volunteered to stay behind and cover.
"Good, because that's not going to happen. He's caught up on all the papers and all...everything's graded." The top drawer of Indy's desk was locked - who knew what he kept in there - but the second drawer she opened, pulling out a folder with papers as proof.
"Miss Foster, I'm not trying to - " he began. "I'm surprised they didn't simply appoint you as the adjunct."
Jane brushed her hair behind her ear and blushed. "No, I'm...just a sophomore actually, at Culver. I'm only here for the summer...and I'm actually a physics student. Archaeology is just an area of interest. I think any aspiring scientist would be an idiot to pass up an opportunity to work with Indiana - I mean, Dr. Jones," she said with a nervous smile. "So yeah, I'm totally unqualified. And he'll be back in a few days...so you'll only have to cover a couple of classes and you'll have me to help."
Jane nervously put together a pile of text books and papers. "That should be all you need..." she wrote down a class schedule and included it, as well as her cell phone number. "You can give me a call if you need anything," she offered, sitting down in the chair again.
The Irishman grinned at the paper. "Does that include dinner?"
Jane awkwardly stared up at him.
"I uh..." she began... "...really can't. I have this equation, and I was hoping to find time to go do some research down in Princeton before he gets back, and..."
"I see. Well, if you change your mind, or if you need anything else...he's a notorious adventurer, you know, with the ladies..." he slipped her a card, waved, and left. Jane slipped it into her pocket, then changed her mind and put it in the desk drawer before gathering her items.
___
Jane endured assisting Flaherty and remained typically awkward around him. She'd done enough to keep the board off of Indy's back, and as soon as he'd returned with a letter of thanks from a museum, Jane had made a photocopy, leaving it as an FYI for the board. If all was well, Indy wouldn't even know anything had been amiss.
Now she was up early, thinking about breakfast as she sorted through their laundry. She thought about all that Flaherty had implied when he left the office during their initial meeting, and found herself smelling one of the shirts Indiana had worn on his journey.
No hint of perfume. It just smells like travel and also like home at the same time, because that's him and that's who I love.
She smiled into the fabric as she kept sorting through the laundry, thinking no more of it until she found a piece of paper in his pocket. All the doubts came rushing back, and heart racing, she opened the paper.
It was a little to-do list full of important phone calls to make and benefactors to meet, but there was one other thing mixed in there: gift for Jane.
She folded the paper and kissed it before she resumed the chore.
She smelled breakfast and came out to the sight of it on the table, but Indiana was nowhere to be seen. They'd had a good night together last night; she'd welcomed him home enthusiastically. They'd tried something fun - something new.
Thinking coyly on that as she sat at the table, she felt something chilly at the top of her chest. Looking down, she saw a simple but exotic necklace of gold. It was unique but delicate.
"Thank you..." she began, closing her eyes in comfort as Indiana kissed her forehead. She wondered about the history of it.
