A/N: I've been holding on to this one for a while, but I think it's time I let it go. :3 Random fact about me: when I first save a document that I'm writing, I typically give it a quirky title as a sort of 'filler' before I come up with an actual title. (It saves me a lot of frustration. xD) This one was "ClairesWayCoolerThanJustThat". xD I hope you enjoy!
"Oh, here's your problem!" the woman said, brushing her hair out of her face for the thousandth time that hour before she rapidly typed in a line of sequence. "It just wasn't calibrated properly. Now it should turn on in three…two…one…"
And just as promised, the computer monitor (which spanned the entire east wall), came to life. Applause from the twenty others standing at an observational distance rang out over the computer's start up melody.
The head scientist, a man by the name of Dr. Stahngun rushed to the woman's side. "Thank you, Doctor Folley—we may finally get some work done today, gentlemen!" A murmur of agreement was heard as each man hurried to his particular station.
"You're welcome," she smiled as the other men busied themselves. "But it was really nothing…just one little thing that needed—"
"Hardly," Stahngun interrupted. "I can't thank you enough," he repeated as she gathered her things to return back to her own department.
"Well, I suppose you'll know where to find me," she said. "It's strange that the main tech guy called in sick today, isn't it? He seemed just fine yesterday…and I can't remember him ever calling in sick."
"Ah, that's how illness sometimes comes I'm afraid. Without warning," Stahngun agreed conversationally.
"In any case, you know enough to work around that problem from now on, don't you?"
"Of course I do!" Stahngun exclaimed with much excitement. "You're quite the excellent teacher."
She snorted. "Well I don't know about that. This isn't even my department!"
"Regardless, I think teaching would suit you."
The woman laughed. "Really, I have no idea what you're talking about. This was just a small, simple thing. I don't have the patience to lead a class like that all the time…not to mention I didn't even outline what I was doing—"
"I was watching perfectly well."
"Still," she emphasized. "I came here to fix a problem; not to teach how to fix it. I think there's enough of a difference there for the sake of this argument."
"This isn't an argument," Stahngun argued.
Claire snickered. "Sure it isn't. And I'm not a redhead."
"Are you really?" Stahngun eagerly asked. "In this light it looks more brunette…"
After that, Claire sighed. "As much as I'd really love to stand here and chat, I need to get back to my own lab, zone-wide system errors or not."
"Of course," Stahngun nodded. "And I should be…supervising."
She grinned. "You can't trust this group on their own?"
"No—actually—" he hesitated, "No, not really, no," he finally decided. "'Wouldn't want another problem that I can't fix."
"I'll leave you to it then. It was wonderful to talk to you, Doctor," she said as she turned and left. She didn't hear Stahngun's replying words, completely in accord.
.∆.
A year and a half later, Stahngun was transferred to a different department. He had seen Claire over that time period of course, but only every once in a while when there was a computer error he couldn't fix and a mysteriously absent tech guy…But by then of course, he had gone back to assuming his real name and a new haircut. For all anyone else knew, Dr. Stahngun was away in Russia for the time being, following rumors he had heard about Russia unlocking the possibility of space travel. This suited Dimitri fine. Perhaps it really was possible to be in two places at once. At the moment, he was looking into it—and Claire's department, Polydimensional Physics, seemed to be exactly the right one to help him the most with that feat.
"Oh, Doctor Allen!" she greeted as he first walked in the door; he didn't even think she knew his other name which was fortunate as it too was Alain—spelled differently, true, but pronounced exactly the same. (He had the oddest feeling in the world that she would have found him out by that detail alone). Directing his attention back to the present, he watched as she set a cardboard box down upon an impressive-looking desk. The box looked as though it were ready to burst at the seams it was so full. "They told me you were finally arriving today, but they neglected to mention the time…This is your office. Or well, it will be once I've finished cleaning it out…"
"Doesn't it belong to someone else?" he asked, pointedly eying the nearly overflowing box. There were a few picture frames in it, but they were all turned down.
"It belonged to someone else," she emphasized the suffix specifically. "You're meant to be in charge now so it just needs a bit of rearranging."
This was obviously her office. "Doctor, you can keep your office." That box just looked much too heavy.
"Oh, you definitely don't want the other one," she assured. "It's so small…more like a closet, really."
"That's my office you're mocking!"
Claire, currently straining with the box dropped it back on top of the desk and laughed. "Doctor, if you really want it, I suppose I can't stop you from taking it. But it's the principle of the thing, really…the one in charge gets the bigger office and since we are now currently looking into your theories and no longer mine…"
"Are you saying you no longer plan to contribute?"
"Of course I'm going to contribute," she retaliated with a small grin, "but—"
"Then this office is yours."
After a short silence, Claire threw her hands in the air and said, "Well, if you don't like it after all then that's not my problem. I spent all morning stuffing everything into this box." It did certainly look like it. "This is the same box I brought in here when I was first hired. Everything fit perfectly. It seems I've accumulated some things since then…I really thought everything would fit just like before."
"Well, now all you need to do is take everything out again."
Claire stood there for a moment, thinking again before she spoke. "Maybe I should show you the office first before you leap into accepting it…"
"I'm sure it's fine enough. I probably won't even use it." But Claire eyed him in that particular way of hers—a raised eyebrow, a very sweet smile—until he amended his statement to say, "Though I suppose…a quick look would be nice."
"I'm glad you see it my way, Doctor," she grinned as she led him out the door, occasionally glancing over her shoulder to be sure he was following.
"I thought I was the one meant to be in charge here?" he asked weakly—it didn't matter how long it had been since he had seen her last; she still knocked the breath out of him.
Claire laughed again. "Yes, but unfortunately I have the upper hand for now. You've never been here before."
"Fair enough." Actually, he had—many times in fact, but Claire wouldn't know that. And she had no idea just how much of an upper hand she held; none at all.