Fanfic Short Stories

Indiana Jones and the Teaching Assistant of Dire Necessity

Nelly's appointment with Professor Indiana Jones had gotten off to a rough start. He'd been pulled away by an urgent summons minutes after she arrived, and now that he'd finally returned he was clearly distracted.

She continued explaining her request, wrapping up with, "Dean Grossman said you need to submit a petition for me to enroll in next semester's graduate seminar."

Jones frowned. "None of the other students needed a petition."

She decided it was time to be blunt. "The other students are men. The dean doesn't approve of women taking graduate courses. Or of us doing, well, anything, as far as I can tell."

His expression was stormy. Which was most distasteful - the paperwork involved in the petition, or the opinions of Dean Grossman? She hoped it was the latter.

He asked, "How did you get into this semester's classes?"

"Officially I'm not in them. I'm only auditing. That's the only way he would let me attend."

Now Jones looked surprised. "But you're writing all of the papers and taking the exams."

Before she could respond, the aforementioned dean of the department strode into the office. "Jones! What's this I hear about you taking off on a jaunt to Crete? There's still a week left in the semester. Junior professors don't go on holiday when class is in session."

"It's not a holiday," Jones protested. "I'm recovering a priceless lost treasure. This will bolster the university's reputation. And all that's happening next week is administering and grading final exams. My graduate assistant has that handled."

The dean looked somewhat mollified, but said, "I wasn't aware you had selected a graduate assistant."

"I was just starting the paperwork," Jones said. "Nelly here agreed to take the role."

The dean sneered down at her. "This is your graduate assistant?"

She stood to be at his level. "Yes, I'm Nelly Dimitriou."

"Ah, yes. The one who keeps sending me requests to enroll in the graduate seminar on Ancient Greece. Sadly, spaces are limited."

"Always space for Nelly," Jones insisted. "Or Necessity, as I call her. Couldn't do without her. She's my best student."

Nelly looked at Jones in surprise and caught him surreptitiously updating a grade sheet, changing her B's into A's.

"She speaks Greek even better than me," he continued. "Her family emigrated from Greece when she was a child."

That was an exaggeration. Her family had left Greece several generations ago, long before she was born. At least she was fluent in the language. She glanced at the professor, who was gesturing for her to play along. "Yes," she said, adding a bit of her grandparents' accent to her words. "They settled in Helena, Montana. There's a big Greek population there. It was named for Helen of Troy," she fibbed.

"Of course, a graduate assistant receives a stipend," Jones continued. "That should cover her tuition and living expenses next semester. Your secretary can handle the paperwork, I'm sure." He stood up. "I need to finish turning things over to Necessity. I'll leave first thing in the morning."

Nelly gaped at him when the dean left. "I... Thank you, Professor Jones. I'll do my very best."

He handed her a file folder. "These are the tests and the answers. The grade book is on the desk, and here are the keys to my office." He looked ready to stroll out.

"Why Necessity?" she asked before he abandoned her.

He selected a book from the shelves across from this desk. "This one about Plato caught my eye."

"Necessity... the mother of invention." She picked up another book. "Euripides said that nothing has more strength than dire necessity."

Jones nodded approvingly. "You can think on your feet. That's an important trait for an archaeologist."

*

Twenty-three years later, when she was named the dean of the archaeology department, Professor Nelly "Necessity" Dimitriou shared the story with her staff. "Each time Indy was called away, he insisted that I lead his classes. So despite the objections of the dean, I stayed around long enough to earn a PhD, and then they hired me as a professor because no one else was willing to pick up Indy's classes at the drop of a hat. Or the drop of a fedora." She grinned at her mentor. "I'm so glad you could be with us today. Sometimes I think you spend more time running after artifacts than you do teaching."

Professor Indiana Jones popped the cork on a bottle of champagne. "Just doing my part to make sure the university kept you around."

A/N: Written for a Flufftober prompt: Cinderella Moment