March 19, 1992 — Cape Canaveral, FL
11:59 AM, EST

The spring moved forward slowly, though Shelby had finally returned to work. She launched herself into her new work, though her enthusiasm for what had once been her dream job was much lower than she thought possible.

Dr. Everly, a crotchety old man that had sat in an office his entire career, had taken over Dr. Feldstein's position, and he'd put together an entirely new crew after Wilson and Walker's departures from NASA.

Adam had been reassigned to a team across the space center's campus, as details of his and Shelby's past relationship had been uncovered during the Tenacity investigation and they had been deemed "unfit" to work together. Shelby suspected the switch had more to do with the fact that they both knew the truth of the incident in space, and less to do with their past romantic relationship.

She moved through each day at a sluggish pace, and though her work ethic cried at the slow pace she was making in her current projects, her slashed NASA hopes and dreams did little to encourage her to pick up the pace.

She was just about to punch out for lunch, the second most enjoyable part of her day besides going home, when her office phone rang. She sighed, took a deep breath, and answered it.

"Shelby Colewell speaking," she answered, plastering a fake smile on her face in an attempt to sound more friendly.

"Hey, Cherry Bomb. Got a moment for an old pal?"

A genuine smile filled her face. "Adam Mitchell. How are you, stranger?"

He chuckled. "Doing as well as you are, I'm sure. I'm just about to head into town to grab some lunch. I don't suppose you would like to join me?"

Adam was Shelby's only remaining connection at NASA who could remind her of the good days, back when NASA had been everything she'd ever hoped for. "Absolutely."

"Great. I'll meet you in the parking lot?"

"Sure, just let me punch out." Shelby hung up the phone and punched out, then grabbed her purse and NASA ID and left her office.

Adam was already outside when she got to the parking lot, so she knew he had to have used one of the outside phones to call her, as it would take him at least fifteen minutes, or a short ride on one of the shuttle vans, to walk from his new office to the parking lot.

Despite working for the same company, they hadn't seen each other since he'd been reassigned, so she gave him an awkward, yet long overdue, hug. Since everyone and their sister knew about their failed relationship, she figured she might as well give the security camera monitors something to gossip about.

"It's nice to see you," she said genuinely.

"It's nice to see you too." He gestured to his car. "Shall we?"

Shelby grimaced. Adam had grown up driving on the wrong side of the road, and she'd never enjoyed watching him get behind the wheel when they had dated. "Must we? My jeep is right over there."

Adam laughed. "Fine, we'll take the jeep."

She grinned and led him towards the jeep, relishing the air conditioning as soon as she left the humid March air. "Where to?"

"Oh, I thought maybe the diner?"

The diner was a popular place for NASA employees, as it had good food and was close to the space center. Shelby wasn't sure what the actual name of the restaurant was, but it didn't matter -- everyone called it the diner.

They arrived at the diner and got a table, and Shelby ordered a grilled cheese and waffle fries. Her mouth watered at the smell of frying potatoes, and she realized just how hungry she was.

"Thank you for joining me," Adam said, playing with the salt shaker as he stared out the restaurant window. "I'm afraid I have some news."

Shelby's cheery mood disappeared, and she felt a pit form in her stomach.

Not again. Not Adam. He was the only one left.

"Oh?"

"I've been offered a faculty position at Cambridge, and I've decided to take it."

"Cambridge?" Shelby's eyes widened. "Congratulations," She said, knowing Adam adored his alma mater, much as Shelby did MIT. Though she was truly happy for him, it didn't make it any easier knowing she would be alone at NASA.

"I'm sorry to leave you here, Shelby, but ..." Adam shook his head. "I can't keep doing this. I can't keep coming back here day after day, pretending everything is normal and alright. There's something going on up there, and NASA doesn't want us to know." He sighed. "I've lost trust in them, and I cannot pass up this opportunity with Cambridge."

"No, of course not," Shelby said with a bittersweet smile. "It's an amazing opportunity Adam, and I don't blame you for leaving NASA."

That was true -- she didn't blame him for leaving NASA. She didn't blame any of them for leaving -- she only wondered why she hadn't left already herself.

"What will you do, then?" Adam asked, sipping slowly at his Coke. "Will you stay here?"

Shelby thought back to her sad office, and the tiresome work she did for the infuriating drowsy Dr. Everly.

"Perhaps I'll seek employment elsewhere," she said quietly.

Though she'd never expected it, Shelby Colewell's NASA era was coming to an end.

April 5, 1992 — New York, NY
8:57 AM, EST

"A little further to the right, would you? That doesn't look even, and I know it will drive her crazy if it's crooked."

Tony was monitoring the remodeling of his father's old office, now his office. He'd taken down a wall and expanded into a nearby utility closet, making it an office fit for two.

"Mr. Stark?" There was a knock at his door and Tony turned to see his new assistant, a bright young woman by the name of Pepper Potts.

"Yes, Miss Potts?"

"The guys downstairs have the new desk. Do you want them to bring it up now?" She asked.

Tony nodded. "Yeah, put it right in front of this painting. My new co-CEO will be arriving shortly. In fact, I better head for the airport. I don't want to miss her arrival."

Pepper smiled. "Okay, I'll let them know."

Tony grabbed a box on his desk, which held picture frames and other knicknacks he'd picked out personally for his new associate. "Set these up when the desk comes, would you?"

Pepper nodded. "Sure thing, sir."

Tony took a step back and admired the painting he'd selected for the other side of the office. "Do you think she's going to like it?" He asked. "It's a little abstract for me, but I've never been overly appreciative of the arts."

"Dr. Colewell is going to love it, Mr. Stark," Pepper said, a friendly smile on her face. "I can't wait to meet her."

"I can't wait for her to get here." Tony glanced at his watch. "I really should leave. You'll make sure everything is good to go when we get back?"

"Of course," Pepper replied. "Mr. Jarvis has the car waiting in the garage."

"Perfect. Thanks." Tony grabbed his wallet. "I'll be back in a bit."

He headed down to the garage level, where Jarvis had one of his father's old cars ready to go.

"To LaGuardia, Jarvis," Tony said, getting into the back seat.

He took a deep breath to calm his nerves. Shelby had finally given her two weeks notice to NASA and agreed to help Tony run Stark Industries. He'd gotten the company back on its feet following his father's death, but he knew Shelby would help bring it into the next century -- the next millennium, actually.

He couldn't wait to get started. 

author's note:

wow - this marks the end of part two of GIRL GENIUS! isn't it crazy how time flies? it feels like tony and shelby just graduated and i was finishing part 1 :')

i will publish information for part three shortly, so put on your seatbelts and hold on tight -- because part three is going to be a wild ride.

thank you so much for all the love you've given to GIRL GENIUS so far, and i hope you enjoyed part two.

xx,
madi