"Yeah just put that," Darcy Lewis paused, her eyes sweeping over the lab. Her attention fixed on the massive expanse of windows on the far wall and she automatically jerked her gaze back from the New York skyline, willing herself not to be distracted. If she let herself think about where she was, she just knew she'd be overwhelmed. She turned back to the expectant expression on the young man's face. "Oh, just anywhere, it doesn't matter." She huffed in exasperation as the mover, practically a kid, set down the box and scuttled back out of the lab door and into the hallway.

Crates of equipment littered the floor, stacked up higher than her head and boxes of files and cables and things she wasn't even sure she could identify littered every surface. The whole thing filled her with a sense of dread and panic she couldn't quite suppress.

She'd know for ages now that this was coming. Well wasn't it obvious, really? If your boss starts dating a norse god it stands to reason someone's going to notice. But Darcy had known long before Thor had fallen out of the sky and into the path of their van. She'd know almost from the very beginning. Jane was brilliant, brilliant and brave enough to see the facts and the truth behind them and just crazy enough to hang on for dear life to them. Darcy had known from her second week in the New Mexico desert that one day Jane Foster would be either the worlds most widely regarded astrophysicist or the one running area 51 and having tea with space aliens.

She'd really kind of banked on the first, which was one of the reasons she'd stuck around. She wasn't sure, knowing it was more like the second, that it had been such a good idea. No matter how fond she was of the nerd.

"A little help here!" Jane squeaked, her voice tinged with panic. Darcy's head whipped around to find Jane, standing on the lab counter wrestling with the mounting on the x-ray telescope feed. She bolted across the lab, stumbling over boxes and reached out, stretching on the tips of her toes to grasp the corner of the screen.

"Let me help you with that," a calm, easy voice was practically in her ear and she felt the brush of a chest against her arm as strong fingers closed over the screen above her own.

"Oh thanks!" She grinned, slipping out of his way and down the counter. "This thing weights a ton, Jane! You could ask for some help!" Darcy complained, Jane only glared down at her. holding the screwdriver between her teeth and juggling the wrench as she balanced on the counter.

"Do I have it lined up correctly?" their rescuer asked, shifting the screen slightly. Darcy turned to gaze up at him with a smile, he had dark, unkept hair streaked with gray and his slightly baggy dress shirt was neatly tucked in to a pair of kakis in desperate need of a pressing. He was slight of build but his hands held the heavy screen effortlessly. Everything about him seemed to be at odds.

"Yeah just give me a second," Jane nodded, quickly popping the bolts into place and anchoring them down.

"You don't look like the Stark issued moving crew," Darcy observed, folding her arms over her chest with her best smile.

"You don't have any idea who this is?" Jane grinned at her. "Ok, I think that's good." she tightened the last bolt one more turn and he cautiously released the screen, shifting back a half step and seeming to fold in on himself shyly.

"Our new lab buddy?" Darcy asked cautiously. She'd been Jane's lab assistant for two years now. She'd only meant to do it for that one summer but it had turned out to be a lot more fun and a lot less stress than the standard college science courses. She really wasn't any good at science. But she was good at the politics of dealing with lab monkeys and researchers. Step one; make friends with as many of the locals as possible. She was really good at that because the labs at Culver had been seventy percent male and the poor boys didn't get out much. Apparently it was a general science rule. Jane plopped down on the counter with a teasing grin, raking the stray hair out of her face.

"Darcy, this is Dr. Bruce Banner, nuclear physics," She declared, waving hand in Bruce's direction.

"Oh my gosh," Darcy squeaked, her eyes wide with excitement."

"Bruce, this is my lab assistant Darcy Lewis," her hand swung back in Darcy's direction and the young woman pounced, grasping Bruce's hand.

"Oh Dr. Banner!" she fairly squealed in delight. "Thor's told me all about you! This is so awesome!"

"All good things, Bruce," Jane assured, taking in his uneasy expression with a kind smile. He seemed to relax slightly as Darcy released his hand but he distanced himself another half step. "You didn't have to come down and check on us, I mean, I'm glad you did that was great timing but you didn't have to come out of your way."

"Actually I was out in the hall heading back from the kitchen when I heard you shout," he admitted. "I'm across the hall in Lab 2"

"No, you're top level of R&D and that would mean this," she pointed at the floor of the lab with a laugh. "is the top lab in STARK Industries for Astrophysics research and..." Her voice trailed off as Bruce stared at her with a placid, amused expression.

"Oh my god," Jane's words came out in a whisper and she choked.

"Jane breathe!" Darcy commanded, resting a hand on her neck and forcing Jane's head down to her knees as she began to hyperventilate. Bruce bit his lip to keep from laughing.

"The only reason you're not one of the most highly regarded Astrophysicists in the world, Dr. Foster, is because most of your discoveries have been classified as a matter of national security," Bruce pointed out gently. "It's hard to get recognition when you can't publish, but it's not as if Tony doesn't know."

"Call me Jane," she insisted with a faint whimper, pulling her knees to her chest.

"See, your new boss thinks you're brilliant!" Darcy stated encouragingly. "So... no pressure." Jane shot her a glare.

"You've been here less than a day and already you're plotting stuff without including me?" Tony Stark appeared in the doorway, his hair tousled, sporting a pair of jeans and a threadbare t-shirt. He clambered over a few boxes, half glaring at the movers. "This is totally unacceptable. This is my building and if there's anything cool going on I had better be a part of it. And there are no parties unless I'm invited. Absolutely none. And I expect to be fed when people go to the deli, that was in your contract and if you didn't read it, that's your own fault." He stopped beside Bruce, folding his arms over his chest.

"What's your problem?" he asked, his brow furrowing in an expression that almost looked concerned as his eyes settled on Jane.

"She suddenly realized where she is," Darcy shrugged, rubbing Jane's back dutifully.

"I think she might be smarter than you," Tony observed, turning to Bruce with an unconcerned expression. "It took you nearly a week."

"I live in a constant state of denial, Tony," Bruce pointed out seriously.

"Oh my god," Darcy gaped at him. "You're in Lab 1, aren't you? That damn penthouse of mutant technology by the elevator belongs to you. This is a nightmare from hell."

"Excuse me?" Tony gave her an affronted look.

"Well why do you think she even keeps a poly-sci major as a lab assistant?" Darcy demanded in exasperation. "My badass math skills? At Culver I could talk half the staff into just about anything I wanted. I can't control either of you, you're a monk and your girlfriend is twice as smart and three times as leggy as I am!"

"Oh god Darcy, please stop talking," Jane pleaded, burying her face in her hands as Bruce chuckled and Darcy groaned slumping beside her morosely.

"They're going to fit right in here," Tony observed, turning to Bruce who nodded in grudging agreement.

"This was a mistake," Jane declared finally, meeting Tony's eye with a determined, if slightly watery expression. "Mr. Stark."

"Tony," he corrected gently.

"Tony," Jane forced out hesitantly. "this is a horrible mistake. I'm immensely, tremendously grateful. I really am, but I'm not up to this. I thought the offer was just to keep me in New York so that Thor could have me close and I wouldn't have to take the offer from SHIELD. And I don't want to take the offer from SHIELD, I don't. But I'm not top tier. I..."

"Dr. Foster you are not here because I wanted to make your boyfriend happy," Tony insisted. He paused uncomfortably a moment. "Well that's not entirely true. You're in New York because I wanted to make your boyfriend happy. Pepper wanted to offer you the opening in the lab in the new building in LA. Oh my GOD you have no idea what I had to do to talk her into New York."

"Tony, no one wants to know that about you," Bruce shook his head.

"The point is," Tony insisted. "You're totally up for this, Jane, totally. Because Pepper knows these things and the last time we fought about who got to keep which of our assets where, a giant bunny was involved and... yeah... this whole conversation derailed way faster than normal."

"Tony, I..." Jane gave him a pleading look.

"Please don't leave," Tony gave her a genuine, pleading look. "You and Bruce and I were going to build a brand new Gama telescope." Bruce nodded encouragingly and she gaped at them with an expression that was both longing and terrified.

"I didn't even know they were a thing until last week," Tony added. "But now I've got to have one, the most sophisticated one ever created. I have the plans in my lab, I've been dying to get your input."

"You're not here on charity, Dr. Foster," Bruce stated kindly. "Tony asked who we should get and I said you. And we really did have to steal you from Pepper."

"It was kind of fun," Tony admitted. Bruce rolled his eyes.

"This is a nightmare," Darcy repeated, sighing dramatically. "Who's in Lab 4, Stephen Hawking?"

"Umm..." Tony blinked at her uncomfortably.

"Lab 4?" Bruce asked, his brow creasing.

"Yes, Lab 4," Darcy huffed. "the containment lab back by the service elevator. I noticed it bringing in the computers. Who's the fourth member of your little Science Bros Club?"

"Umm..." Tony seemed to waffle uncomfortably and Bruce's frown deepened to a glare.

"Excuse me," A gentle feminine voice called in at the door and they all turned, peering around the crates that had been accumulating in the middle of the lab. "I'm looking for... Oh! Hi Tony!"

"Betty!" Tony's grin widened and he clambered over the boxes of equipment, "You're not starting until tomorrow."

"I just wanted to get a look at the lab and drop a few things off," she shrugged. "Plan where I want to put everything. I'm in 4 right?"

"Yeah, it's down at the end of the hall," Tony nodded, herding her into the lab. "Let me introduce you to your new roomies. I don't know if you know Jane, you were in different departments at Culver. Dr. Foster, Astrophysics, Dr. Betty Ross, Cellular Biology."

"I think we met in passing at a few functions," Betty smiled brightly. "I consulted on the potential biological risks on your Bridge Project for SHIELD, Doctor."

"Call me Jane," Jane stared at her wide eyed, holding out her hand. "You read my report?"

"It's such a shame you can't publish it," Betty sighed wistfully. "Oh, hello Darcy! Nice to see you again."

"Hi Betty," Darcy waved easily.

"Did you know everyone on campus?" Jane asked in wonder.

"It got me by," Darcy shrugged.

"And I know you know Dr. Banner," Tony added. Bruce slipped out from behind a stack of crates, his expression a painful combination of wounded and joyful. Betty stared at him breathlessly a moment.

"You're here?" she said finally. Bruce only nodded , looking down at his feet. "When I found out you were in the Initiative I thought SHIELD was keeping you on one of their mobile bases. I..."

"Amateurs," Tony scoffed. "their security's terrible. I hack in every week. We couldn't leave Bruce in a place like that. Of course you can't let anyone know he's actually here. That's the biggest reason we have to be careful who we have on this floor. It's a trust issue for both of us."

"Bruce?" Betty looked as if she might be on the verge of tears and Tony's eyebrows shot up to his hairline.

"Jane, Darcy," He said quickly. "Why don't I show you around and drop you off at your suite? There's probably a ton of stuff to unpack up there too. You should get settled because I'm 90% sure Cap and Thor are making dinner for everyone and you definitely don't want to be late for that."

"Um, yeah," Darcy agreed, scrambling for her backpack in the corner as Jane nodded mutely. "Let me get our bags."

"Don't be late for supper, kids!" Tony called over his shoulder, herding Jane and Darcy out into the hall toward the elevator.

"Bruce?" Betty repeated, her voice trembling.

"You shouldn't be here," he murmured, tears stinging his eyes as he met her gaze. "I'm not safe, I'm still not safe. I'm better, but..."

"Bruce, don't," she pleaded, taking a step closer to him.

"I can't let you get hurt," he insisted. "and I can't... what's your fiancé going to think?"

"Bruce, it's over," Betty stated firmly.

"What?"

"It's been over for a while now," she admitted, shaking her head. "I tired but I just... couldn't. You can't marry someone when you're still carrying a torch for someone else."

"Oh, Betty," he sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. Her arms were around his neck before he could even register that she'd moved closer and he returned the embrace, hiding his face in her shoulder.

"Tony asked you here to work on the stabilization project, didn't he?" Bruce asked finally. She nodded against his shoulder, melting into his arms.

"I thought it might be months before I got a chance to see you," She admitted. "Maybe even never. But I wanted to help." Bruce let out a pained sigh, brushing a tender kiss on her cheek.

"Betty, this can't work," he protested. "You have to get away from here, from me. As far away as you can."

"You're not a monster," she insisted vehemently. "I'm not the only one who sees that now. I talked with Tony, don't try to tell me he sees you that way because I know better. All of these people, they care about you, they trust you. You must have done something to earn that." He pulled back, taking her hand in his.

"If anything happened," Bruce stared at her breathlessly.

"You trust yourself around Tony Stark but not me?" she asked with a hurt frown.

"Tony stark can take me down if he had to," Bruce replied. "You can't."

"Tony Stark wouldn't take you down no matter what," Betty shook her head. "I don't think any of them would. Do you think I haven't been watching? Do you think the whole world hasn't? It isn't just you all on your own any more. Please, please just let me help you."

"I can't talk you out of this, can I?" he asked miserably.

"How'd you do with convincing Tony you couldn't stay here?" She countered, giving him a knowing look. He hissed out a curse, taking her hand and tucking it in the crook of his arm.

"Your new lab is at the end of the hall, Dr. Ross," he stated resignedly. "Let me show you the way."

"I'd appreciate that, Dr. Banner," she answered with a teasing smile.

"I think you'll like it here," Bruce offered. "You're going to fit right in."

Author's Note:

This story is part of a series called "Coulson Lives but the Avengers Might be the Death of him." The full list of stories and their chronological order can be found on my profile page