One month later, in Boston, Massachusetts...

Skye Penderwick was irate. She and Dr. Ian Waitz, the Dean of MIT, usually got along pretty well. But this was a different case, entirely. Under Dean Waitz' explicit orders, Skye had just been assigned as a teacher's aid to Dr Cooper Snyder, professor of the Astrobiology Department.

"Skye, you knew when you applied for our Ph.D. program that student teaching was a requirement. I don't know why you are so upset by this assignment. From what I've been told, Cooper is brilliant man with looks to match."

"Yes; and I bet he has an ego to go with them both. Why haven't I heard of him before, if he's all so wonderful?"

"Well, he just got his doctorate. He took a semester off to go home, and then came back and started teaching this semester. Give him a chance, Skye. I'm inclined to think that the two of you will work well together. Try to prove me right, okay?"

Sending him a glare that could have killed a tiger, she stormed out of the office and down the hall.

"I mean, really! The nerve!"

"Well, he is the Dean, Skye."

"I don't care if he's the Secretary of The Interior! He had no right to assign me to an egomaniac like Snyder!"

"How do you know he's an egomaniac?"

"Simple. His description. Brilliant and handsome. The two main requirements of a narcissist."

"Skye..." Shaking his head at his fiancé's stubbornness, Jeffrey leaned forward and planted a kiss on her mouth, silencing the onslaught of complaints. At least temporarily.

8 o'clock the next morning...

Jaw set, Skye opened the door to what she was sure would be her torture chamber for the next few months. The first thing she noticed was how bright the room was. The second thing she noticed was how white the room was. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust, but when they finally did, she noticed yet another white object. It was a white lab coat with a man inside of it. A very young man. A very handsome young man.

Grinding her teeth at the task before her, she stepped forward, shutting the door behind her.

"Are you Dr. Snyder?" Turning around in his chair, he flashed her a perfect smile. She ignored it.

"How did you guess?"

"Dean Waitz' description of you."

"What; handsome, congenial, and brilliant?"

"No; egotistical, overconfident, and a flirt."

"Ahhh, you must be Skye Penderwick. I was warned you probably wouldn't like me, and that you would take no pains in telling me so."

"Shall we get down to business?"

"Certainly. You can start by ironing my lab coat." Skye came centimeters away from punching him in the nose. This was going to be a long day.

Four hours later...

"Well, that's it for this morning's classes. What about lunch?"

"What about it?"

"What do you want to eat for it?"

"I'm not hungry."

"All you've been complaining about for the past 3 1/2 hours is how hungry you are. What happened?"

"Being in the same room with you for four hours would make anyone loose their appetite."

"Touché. Come along, through. I don't want you anyone passing out durning my afternoon lecture. I know a marvelous little Chinese restaurant just around the corner."

In the battle against Skye's hatred and her empty stomach, the stomach won. Grimacing, she allowed herself to be lead out of the classroom.

"Table for two, please."

"Yes, Sir. Follow me, please."

"So, Dr. Snyder, do you come here often?"

"Yes. I discover it last year. They have wonderful natural light to write by."

"It take it that's a deliberate cue for me to ask, 'Oh? Are you a writer?'." He laughed, and his eyes twinkled.

"I've never met anyone like you Skye Penderwick. So blunt... and so accurate. You'd be surprised at how many people never catch on to that technique. But yes, I am a writer. My other talents include being astronautically trained, speaking 6 languages fluently, and playing the violin. What do you do?" Despite herself, Skye laughed.

"Let's see. I enjoy punching insufferable men in the nose, engaging in any sort of math, and spying on people through my binoculars." He grinned.

"Just about what I would expect. I always thought -"

"Excuse me, Sir. Would you like to order now?"

"對。謝謝。我們要兩個牛肉米飯。 謝謝。＂As the waitress left, Skye glared at the man sitting across for her.

"I could have ordered for myself, you know!"

"Really? Do you speak Mandarin, too?"

"No, but she spoke English."

"True, but could you have read the menu?" Skye looked down. It was all in Chinese. Biting her lip, she sent him a glare the could have frightened Hitler.

"That's alright, Skye. I forgive you."

He smiled insufferably and patted her on the hand. Furious, she picked up her glass of lemonade, and doused him with the contents. At that same time the waitress came up behind him. The effect? The Professor and the waitress both yelped. The man stood up, and hands flying, hit the waitress, who dropped her tray, and the contents of it, on Skye and Snyder, and then fell flat on her back, unconscious.

Shocked, the two stared at each other. Then, the sight of each other, covered in Chinese food, set in. They both burst out laughing. And once they started, they couldn't stop. And then the manager burst in from the kitchen. Taking one glance at his face, Dr Cooper Snyder grabbed Skye's hand and, together, they ran all the way back to the class room.

Hi there. Don't worry, there will be more Jeffrey in the next chapter. Thanks to Mahogany night for the idea of a protective Jeffrey, that's what I'm currently building up to. If any of you have any ideas of suggestions, please let me know.

Mahogany night: Great ideas! So far, my temporary plot line includes this eventually slightly possessive Jeffrey. A humorous relief chapter of spring break in Cameron, (maybe I could put Pearson in there somewhere) and then something else (I don't know what yet) before a big adventure during the summer (which I haven't come up with yet, either) during which I could put seem protectiveness in. What do you think? Any ideas?