Feel Something

Chapter 7: Living My Life Like It's Now or Never

Jane looked at her barren lab one last time before shutting off the lights and departing, the worn notebook clutched in her hand all she had left to show for years of work and research. After spending the last day scouring her notes with Erik, they eventually decided to admit defeat and head back to Culver to reset. Jane didn't have the resources out here in New Mexico to rebuild all that SHIELD took. All that SHIELD stole.

This wasn't giving up, but it was starting over. She didn't even have her most important piece of evidence, as he was off road tripping with her ex-intern.

The empty Puente Antiguo street felt oddly calm and quiet without Darcy there to make jokes and sarcastic remarks about every little thing. Despite her more introverted tendencies, Jane missed her boisterous friend. Two months had brought them close quickly, giving Jane the little sister she never knew she needed.

Jane hoped recent events wouldn't drive a wedge between them like it did Darcy and Erik, which was why she made a point of calling and texting her friend regularly to check in. Leaving Darcy to her own devices with a complete stranger still didn't sit right with Jane, but there wasn't a lot she could do to change the stubborn grad student's mind once it was made up. That would have only pushed the bullheaded girl away.

Plopping her notebook on the passenger seat of her van, Jane backed out of the gravel lot and drove two miles down the road to the diner where she was meeting Erik for lunch before they made their own expedition to Albuquerque to catch a flight back to West Virginia.

Jane found Erik easily in the crowded diner, his sweater vest and clean-shaven complexion standing out in a sea of flannel, beards, and trucker caps. He stood out almost as much as the ominous stranger seated with him.

"Ah, Jane," Erik greeted her wearily, "This is Nicholas Fury...Director of SHIELD."

"Oh. Crap," Jane blurted before her mind had time to fully register the situation.

"Yes, I believe 'crap' just about sums it up," Fury replied humorlessly. He didn't strike Jane as the type to joke around very often, with his matte black leather coat and menacing eye patch. "It seems we have gotten off on the wrong foot, Miss Foster. Consider my presence here our effort to make amends."

"So you're going to return my equipment?" Jane challenged.

"In a manner of speaking," Fury hedged, giving nothing away with his posture that was both comfortable and stiff, as if he didn't know how to relax but this was as close as he got. "Please, sit."

Jane slowly sank into a chair next to Erik and across from Director Fury, numbly ordering a cup of black coffee from the waitress. She'd suddenly lost her appetite.

"SHIELD is impressed by the work you've done here thus far. Your equipment and research is impressive to say the least, not to mention your many accolades. We'd like to make you an offer that will help you continue your work."

"In other words, you don't have the experience to work my equipment and need my help to get any use out of it."

Fury actually quirked a smile at that one. "In part, yes. We would like to provide you with rather generous lab space in our New York City facility along with complete funding of anything you may need to further your research. You would be welcome to travel anywhere you need to continue your work, but we would provide your base of operations."

"So you can roadblock me any time I'm nearing a breakthrough? Or kick me out once I train up one of your lackeys? Yeah, no thanks. I work better on my own."

"No roadblocks. No tricks. All we ask is that you keep us apprised of what you uncover and agree to keep it strictly confidential. Your work has begun to scratch the surface of some rather...sensitive information. So long as you help us to protect that information, we won't get in your way."