Author's Note:

I'm back! Sorry for such a long break... I've been nursing a cold and trying to get my life together for Thanksgiving (like that would ever happen lol).

I'm just blown away with the amount of encouragement and positive messages I've received about this work! I know I'm not the best writer, but I'm definitely trying to improve and you guys help me so much with that. :)

This chapter is a little short, as I'm trying to get back into the groove of things. I'm thinking I'll stray away from the plot closer to the holidays and do a few fluffy Christmas-themed posts, just to see how Strange would fair under some mistletoe ;)

Anyways, enjoy!

I looked at myself in the mirror, pulling my shoulders back. I've always been one to put some extra effort into my appearance. Not for anyone else, just for me. There's something about the boost of confidence a little lipstick gives you.

Today, I went a bit overboard, waking up a few minutes early to curl my hair, put a little rouge and mascara. It was a new day...in a weird way. No longer was I Charlie, the resident-oh, I mean, janitor. Today, I was Charlotte, Dr. Strange's assistant.

Assistant. The word itself put a hop in my step as I sauntered from my mirror, weaving through the piles of boxes (I had yet to unpack), and to my coffeemaker. I still had my suspicions with Strange, but at least I knew he had the heart to give me a chance. It had been less than 24-hours since I spoke up for myself, and the memory still gave me an edge.

I know, it's odd, but let me explain myself: I have never been one to ask for something. I hate the feeling of being in-debt, or feeling like a burden. My flaws have always centered around the fear of being unwanted, as hard as it is to admit. I never was a teacher's pet because I was afraid of looking like I was "trying too hard", and therefore being the fly on the wall no one wanted.

But I digress.

The bitter coffee burned my throat as it slid down my throat. I made my way from the messy kitchen counter to the sole window in my apartment. Rays of early morning sunshine crept in through the sky-rises, delicately hitting the pavement below. Harlem was just waking up; a taxi honked, a bike leisurely rode by underneath my window, an old couple chattered on the doorstep of their townhouse. I had learned that the most quiet you could get in the city was during mornings like these.

I quietly smiled to myself, wrapping my fingers around the steaming mug. Everything, it seemed, was in its place on a Tuesday on morning.

Everything, that is, except for jet black Tesla parked in front of my complex with Stephen Strange sitting on it's hood.

Wait.

I rapidly set my mug down and threw open my window, leaning out of it. "Strange?"

The doctor looked up from his phone nonchalantly, as if waiting in front of his employee's home every morning was normal for him. "You're up. No time for chit-chat, come down to the car."

My brows furrowed. "But-"

Stephen raised an eyebrow. I didn't need to say much; I already knew my ass would be grass if I didn't head over soon.

With a huff, I slammed my window back down, causing my coffee mug to tremble. I raced out of my apartment and down to the front lobby.

As I walked out into the street, a cool breeze hit my cheeks. I shivered, sticking my hands into the pockets of my scrubs as I approached Strange. "Well...good morning, I guess?"

"Morning. We've got work to do, get in the car." Strange spoke in a rush, beckoning to the passenger door before heading to the driver's side.

Despite my mother having told me to never get into the car of someone you didn't know (or trust), I slid into the Tesla.

My eyes widened as I took in the interior; glossy wooden panel, LED lights shining on the roof, leather seats as cushy as pillow. This was car heaven if there ever was one.

"I like your car."

Strange nodded. Obviously, he got that compliment plenty of times. He pulled the car into drive, and we slid off into the city.

"Can I ask you something?" I queried, a little hesitant. Yes, I had somehow mustered up the courage to yell at Dr. Strange just the day before, but I must remind you that that was completely unlike me. It would take about a thousand more centuries until I could pull something like that off again. "Why am I riding in your car?"

"If you really want to prove yourself, we're going to have to do a lot of work, Charlotte. Mornings are the perfect time to get work done."

"But couldn't we have maybe...I don't know, just met up at the hospital?"

"No." Strange answered curtly. He continued looking at the crowded road ahead, his icy eyes never meeting me. "You're my assistant, and God knows you wouldn't be on time to work anyways if it weren't for me."

Ouch. I bit my lip, holding back any sort of comment. He's your boss. You can hate him, but don't ever let him know. "So, how am I going to prove myself today, then?"

"Brain surgery. There's an adolescent male who ran his motorbike into a hot dog stand at 90 miles per hour, no helmet, shattered the frontal section of his skull. Fragments of the bone are extremely close to penetrating the brain tissue and-" He paused, tapping a long finger on his steering wheel. "We know what will happen if that occurs."

I felt my face go white. In all honestly, I had minimal experience with human brains. The last time I ever worked with one was during my final, and that was just examining it and finding which part was which. I never had to extract anything.

However, I tried to feign a bit of confidence. "Ah. Oh, okay. That sounds...exhilarating."

"Exhilarating isn't really the word I would use."

"Scalpel."

I breathed out, praying my nerves didn't shake my hand as I passed the gleaming instrument into Strange's. The bright medical lights cast no shadows in the surgery room, save for the shadows looming ominously in the corners.

Strange and I were almost alone in the room, except for another nurse manning the computer monitors that displayed the client's X-rays.

The doctor wasn't messing around when he said he would be teaching me; he ordered all other medical personnel to leave the surgery to him and I only. I guess he was good enough to save any mistakes I would make, but it still unnerved me that someone's life laid in only two people's hands. Someone's sweaty, shaky hands.

"Charlotte?"

I shook my head, realizing I had been staring vacantly at the subject's brain like it was...well, an actual brain? "I'm sorry, what?"

I heard an annoyed sigh escape from under Strange's surgical mask. "I said, I want you to make the primary incision."

My eyes widened. "Are you sure? Really, I'm fine with just observing-"

"You're never going to learn by watching." He took my hand in his, wrapping my fingers around the scalpel. "Here, I'll show you."

He positioned himself behind me. Even with a mask on, I could feel his breath radiating on the back of my neck. I felt slightly uncomfortable, but something else twinged inside me. Pushing it aside, I focused my attention on the job before me.

"And just cut right...there. Now, do you see the bone fragments?"

I peered down. Small pieces of white jutted out in the soft, pink tissue. "Yeah, that's it right there."

"Alright, now we'll take those out." He released his hands from mine, moving back to his place at the head of the surgery table. "Since this is such a delicate operation, I'll take over for the rest of this."

Something clicked in me. I remembered the condescending tone in his voice the day before, the burning pit in my stomach that knew I was good enough, the fear to try. This, this was my opportunity to prove Strange wrong.

"Wait." I blurted out. "I'll do it."

Stephen stopped, hovering over the brain with a pair of tweezers. Suddenly, he laughed. "Oh, that's funny, Charlotte." He breathed, shaking his head. "Really. Anyways, just observe how usually with this sort of tool-"

I cut him off. "No. I mean it. I want to extract the fragments."

Before he could protest, I snatched the tweezers from his hands and leaned down closer to the body.

Inside, I felt like my heart was beating a million times a minute. All of my thoughts seemed to jumble together in a ball, rolling through my body like a tumbleweed. Then I remembered something one of my professors had told me: "When you work, imagine yourself outside your body. Coach yourself. Observe yourself. Only you can be your best teacher."

I listened to it.

I took a shaky breath in, then out.

And I went for it.

The tweezers seemed to delicately lower themselves by some supernatural force, gently plucking one fragment out, and then another, and then another. They all fell neatly into the plate next to me with a soft plunk.

And then...it was over.

I un-hunched myself from over the subject's head, only then realizing the streams of sweat that had been falling down my face. I pulled the mask off of my mouth, spinning around to face the doctor, who had done the same.

We began to speak at the same time.

"How did you-"

"I can't believe I-"

"I've never seen-"

"I didn't think-"

We stopped at the same time, and we both abruptly heard cheering coming from the two-way mirror on the far side of the room.

A smile cracked on my face, breaking the tension. "Were there people watching?"

"I-I asked some others to observe...since this was a lesson." Strange responded, his voice sounding dry. He rubbed the heel of his palm across his brow, still looking at me in shock. "I can't believe you just did that. It takes...years of experience to successfully extract one fragment from nervous tissue, let alone six."

My eyes twinkled. "I told you I had experience, didn't I?"

For the first time, I saw a grin appear on Strange's face. It shocked me at first. It wasn't like what I had seen before; there was no aura of arrogance or teasing behind it, all it was was happiness.

But just as quickly as it materialized, it disappeared.

"Congratulations on a successful surgery, Charlotte." He offered me stiffly, patting me awkwardly on the shoulder as he began to exit the door. Strange paused, his hand on the knob. He turned back to me, taking me in with his stormy eyes. "Maybe I was wrong to judge you so quickly."

The door slid shut behind him.

Perhaps I was just imagining things, but I think I was starting to see the man inside that doctor's body.