Jane massaged the area between her eyebrows, and leaned back in her rolling office chair. "How's your Covington reports coming?" A familiar voice sounded from behind her. Jane spun around to see her co-worker Nicki lounging against the corner of her cubicle making the most dramatically exhausted face she could muster.

Jane smiled and replied, "Just sent them off." With a sigh she added, "37 pages in all their mind numbingly redundant glory."

Nicki slid away from the cubicle divider and stumbled her way to Jane's desk where she promptly took a seat atop it. "I swear, this week feels like it will never end." She stated.

Used to having her outgoing friend making herself at home, Jane allowed her to get comfortable. "It does seem like we've been getting quite a lot of the tedious paperwork lately. Did we lose a bunch of interns or something?"

"Who knows?" Nicki exhaled. "But I'm beginning to get sick of it. I signed up to do actual intelligence work not all this ridiculous data entry they could've hired a monkey to do."

"Yeah, and what are you going to do, transfer to field ops?" Jane said with a laugh.

"I just might!" Nicki said. "What? Don't laugh, I'm serious! They don't value us anymore, they just hole us up down here. You know, I'm really beginning to understand why printers jam up so often. There's only so much paper you can have incessantly shoved at you before you have a full on psychotic break."

Jane smiled, relaxing back into the fabric back of the chair. "You wouldn't last a day in field ops. You'd be too preoccupied with correcting the fashion sense of the person trying to kill you, they'd get you before you had a chance to criticize their improper use of knits and leather."

"Hey, now that's no joke. That combination is not just a crime of fashion it's a crime against humanity!" Both girls chuckled, and after a moment Nicki added, "But seriously, I feel like they just forget about us sometimes. Either that or they've just begun taking us for granted. I mean, I've been here what, two and a half years? And you started a few months before me, right?"

"Yeah, three months." Jane confirmed.

"Exactly, and what has it gotten us? We're still exactly where we started. Sure we have our own desks and cubicles now, but I thought at the very least I'd be an assistant to someone at least mildly important by now." Nicki continued, dangling her legs off the side of the desk. When Jane didn't offer any commentary she added, "Don't you think you deserve something better?"

Jane thought on her friend's words a moment and said, "Well I don't know, I didn't come into this job with any expectations, so this seemed good to me. It's work, and I can do it. Seems like a win-win to me."

"Sure, but don't you think you've earned the right to something better? Surely you don't want to do expense reports and data analysis for the rest of your life!" Her friend said emphatically. Jane just shrugged. "Oh come on. You can't say we haven't earned it, we were here all through the battle of New York, remember? The whole world, falling apart, and some crazy lunatics running around in funny costumes. Meanwhile, who was here to hold the department together? Why us of course, 'Newbie Duo Nick and Jay' to the rescue!" Nicki's theatrics caused a smile to spread across Janes lips, accompanied by an obligatory eye roll.

"I think you're forgetting the very important fact that the 'lunatics in funny costumes' just so happened to be the ones who saved us all from the Chitauri." Jane said, unconvinced by her friend's argument. "Besides, we only did what anyone else in our position would have done."

This time it was Nicki's turn to roll her eyes. "Oh please. Always the one to be humble! When we got word of what was happening, half the crew was ready to jump ship, the other half itching to run out in the streets to 'help'. Maybe you forgot who kept us all calm, and more importantly, alive."

"Yeah but—" Jane said.

"No, don't say you were just doing your job, we both know that's crap." Nicki interrupted, knowing where her friend was going with it. "We don't get paid nearly enough for that. Besides, Anderson was an absolute mess; some leader he turned out to be. But then someone had the mind enough to make sure we kept our heads screwed on straight. I still don't know, by the way, how in the heck you convinced me to be your second command. You know I hate being the responsible one."

"Says the girl who demands a raise." Jane said, eyebrows raised, and a smirk on her face.

Nicki made a face and replied, "You know what I mean."

"So are you really thinking of applying for a transfer?" Jane asked, after a moment.

Nicki took a deep breath and replied, "Yeah, if nothing changes soon. I'd hate to leave you, you know that, but I'm afraid if I don't be more assertive I'll never get anywhere. I couldn't bear the thought of the rest of my life being spent in these cubicles. Tom says there are rumors of something big about to happen soon, don't know what, but I'd sure hate to be here when it does and miss out on all the fun!

"Besides," She said with a smile, "I'd like to hold on to the idea that I might meet one of the avengers someday." She looked above her as though envisioning her future life of being whisked off her feet by Captain America.

"Weren't you just calling them costume-clad lunatics a minute ago?" Jane questioned.

"Well, sure." Nicki answered, "But you've got to admit they're pretty fine, yeah?"

Jane just laughed softly at her friend before remarking, "I've met one of them before; did I ever tell you about it?"

Upon hearing her co-worker's statement, Nicki instantly snapped out of her daydream and stared at Jane, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Ha ha, very funny."

"No really, I have!" Jane said, with a knowing smile.

Nicki continued to stare at her, unsure if she was joking or actually serious. "When?! Who!?" She exclaimed.

"It was before I took this job." Jane said nonchalantly. "When I had my—" She stopped abruptly, remembering Nicki didn't know about her physical abnormality. "I was selected for the new medical screenings Stark was creating for new recruits. They needed to test them, and I guess I was a good candidate." Jane kept her external emotions calm, but inside she was berating herself for almost letting her secret slip out. After the procedure with Stark, Coulson had warned her of the risks that could arise if people started finding out about it. Since then, she had been careful to wear clothes that disguised it, wearing her hair in a way to cover it when possible.

Nicki's jaw gaped. "No way! So you really met him?" She asked in disbelief. When Jane simply nodded with a smile she said excitedly, leaning in, "You have to tell me everything! What was he like? Is he really like they show him on the news? Did he try to hit on you? Oh! Did you get to see the suit?"

Jane chuckled at Nicki's enthusiasm. "Calm down, it wasn't that exciting. He pretty much just monitored his machines, all the while oozing charisma and irresistible charm." She said with an air of sarcasm. "I didn't even get to talk to him really. No flirting, no secret hookups, and no Iron Man suits anywhere to be seen."

Nicki seemed a bit disappointed in the lack of juicy detail, but then her face suddenly lit up and she said, one eyebrow raised, "But he did see you naked, yes?"

Jane rolled her eyes again and replied, "Not really, they do in fact believe in giving people gowns for these kinds of things."

Nicki sighed, "Come on, let me have this. My best friend has met freaking Iron Man, I have to have something interesting to say when I need to impress a lot of people with this information!"

Knowing there was no use arguing the point further Jane let the subject drop. Glancing at the bottom corner of her computer screen she saw the clock readout saying 6:32. "Fifteen more minutes and we can finally get out of here."

Nicki checked her watch and said, "A few of us are going to O'Reilly's tonight, you should come." Seeing Jane's look of unease she quickly added, "I know you aren't much of one for drinking, but come on, you never hang out with us anymore! Besides," She said with a smirk, "I'm pretty sure Marcus has a thing for you, and you never know what could happen!"

Jane let out a small laugh, "Everyone knows Marcus has a thing for me. You know, I know, heck I'm pretty sure Clark from accounting knows!"

"Yeah, well still, you should come. Marcus can be a bit of a jerk at times I know, but he's not all bad!" Seeing she was not succeeding in the persuasion department Nicki added, "Plus me and Tom are getting tired of being the only couple there, we need couple friends!"

"As much as I'd love to," Jane replied with a sigh, "I really can't. I'm going to the counseling department after work."

Nicki slid off the desk and smoothed out her skirt. "Ugh, sometimes I don't understand you! When you aren't working here you're there, or you're at the training gym. It's like you live here! You love work too much; you need to loosen up, live a little!"

"I already promised Dr. Jacobs I would help out tonight, I can't just bail on him!" Jane replied, unconvinced by Nicki's persuasion.

With a dramatic sigh Nicki said, "Okay fine, but we're throwing a birthday party for Lana this Saturday, you have to promise you'll come!"

"Okay I promise, sounds like a plan." Jane answered, then waved as her friend exited the cubicle.