Laura Thompson's POV (Present Year: 2023)

My head hurts.

My shoulder hurts.

Actually, my entire body is pretty sore.

Grimacing slightly, I allow my eyes to flutter open, my surroundings blurry.

Gosh...

The room I'm in is nearly identical to mine, just... backwards, in a sense.

This isn't my room...

Realization washes through me as I snuggle deeper into the blankets laying on top of me.

I'm in Elon's room...

Again.

I roll onto my side, searching for my boyfriend, however, he's not in bed beside me.

I sit up slightly, allowing my gaze to groggily scan the dark room.

"Where could he be?" I murmur, my gaze wandering to the small digital clock beside the bed, the only small light source.

It reads 4:30 AM.

Geez, it's early!

And somehow, he's already up.

I huff in defeat, rolling onto my other side slightly, only to be stopped by a sharp jolt of pain.

Hissing, I roll back onto my previous side, burying my head in the pillow.

It's too early for all of this. I'm going back to sleep.

But, as all good things must come to an end, the sound of someone unlocking the door causes me to stir from my slumber.

I glance at the clock through my hazy gaze, my brain not really registering the information.

4:51 AM.

So much for going back to sleep, I guess.

Refocusing on the noise that had awoken me, I squint through the darkness, attempting to make out the figure quietly coming towards me.

It's Elon, already dressed and ready to go for the day, by the look of it.

In his arms, though, seem to be a few things.

Too small to make them out though.

Silently, he approaches me as I steady my breathing and close my eyes almost instinctively.

Though, part of me just wants to see what he's up to.

I watch through lidded eyes as his gaze travels over my blanketed form, a frown of guilt appearing on his features as he reaches out towards my uninjured shoulder, simply setting his hand there.

"I'm so sorry, Love," He murmurs, sighing heavily as he leans down closer to me.

At this point, my eyes are already closed and honestly, I'm beginning to fall into yet another bought of sleep.

Feeling through my now foggy senses, the feeling of an arm behind my back resonates with me and before I know it, my Partner somehow manages to have me sitting up completely, the feeling of his arm behind me gone and replaced with the coolness of the wall.

"Laura..." Elon coaxes, voice soft and gentle from outside my consciousness, the feeling of his warm hand caressing my own. "Rise and shine, sweetheart."

I just huff in annoyance, allowing myself to slowly slip down the wall and back under the covers.

"Nuh uh uh," He chuckles, gently putting both hands under my arms, preventing me to go any further. "I need you to get up so you can take these painkillers."

"Whyyyy?" I whine, fighting weakly against his playful grip.

"Because I know that shoulder is bothering you, you're barely moving it, even while half asleep," He explains, the same guilt from earlier creeping it's way into his tone.

I nod slowly as I practically force my eyes open, watching silently as he almost instantly moves his arms away from me, wordlessly handing me a small pill and a glass of water.

"Thanks," I murmur, downing the painkiller and water with ease, gently setting the now empty glass on the side table beside me.

Elon just dips his head in acknowledgment, his gaze focused on anything in the room but me.

He must feel so guilty...

"Elon, I..." I sigh, a swell of emotions beginning to rise within me.

The man sitting silently in front of me on the edge of the bed turns to face me, a look of such brokenness on his features, it just causes my emotions to spill over.

"Please don't beat yourself up over what happened last night," I whisper, my voice cracking as the tears start to roll freely down my cheeks. "I forgive you. Accidents happen."

"How can you just forgive me so easily? I hurt you. You said so yourself!" He croaks, tears shining in his own eyes before he chuckles lowly, shaking his head sadly. "I don't deserve a second chance with you... But yet, here we are..."

I toss him a small, watery, smile.

"I forgive you because I love you, Elon," I explain, trying to wipe away my tears as they continue to fall. "And you do deserve a second chance because I know that last night was an accident."

"And accidents happen."

"See? You're getting it now."

We both share a light laugh before a silence blankets the room.

Though this time, the silence is comfortable.

Just like it should be.

"Come back to bed, Handsome," I yawn, pulling the covers closer to me as I shift around, trying to get comfortable once more. "We still have some time before the day actually starts."

"Handsome, huh?" Elon laughs, disappearing momentarily back into the darkness before emerging once more, laptop in hand.

I eye him questioningly, passing him a rather disapproving glance.

"Yes, you are very Handsome," I confirm with a slight grin. "But you're not super-human. Just come lay down for awhile... Work can wait, can't it?"

My boyfriend rolls his eyes, closing the device's screen and setting it aside before slipping under the covers beside me, pulling me close.

"You're right," He murmurs lazily in my ear, his voice sending happy shivers down my spine. "Work can wait... For now, anyways..."

I can't help but allow a grin to spread across my features as I feel his form relax behind me, his breathing steadying.

And soon enough, we're both sound asleep.

****

"You've already slept with him?! Twice?!" Vivian Chang exclaims, covering her mouth in surprise, her eyes wide.

Myself, Vivian and Mark are all hanging around the the Common Area for the time being, seeing as our regular training schedules had been all mixed up by one phone call.

See, Elon was called away by "someone important," as he had explained to me as we both hastily scrambled out of bed in a daze after his phone had decided to demonstrate just how obnoxiously loud it can be in complete silence.

As the events of this morning cross my headspace, almost instantly, I go beet red, realizing what my friend is getting at.

"No, no, no, no!" I stammer, my face feeling like it's literally on fire. "We did absolutely nothing of that sort!"

She smirks, laughing lightly.

"I know, I know," She jokes, elbowing me playfully. "I'm just messing with ya."

"I do not want to know what you two are talking about," Mark states plainly, passing us by where we're sitting at the dining room table and flopping down on the couch, flicking on the TV, various food items sprawled out on the coffee table in front of him. "Also; it would be appreciated if you both could keep it down? It's very difficult to watch anything when there's just constant yapping behind me!"

"Eh," My friend across from me shrugs, passing me a lopsided goofy grin. "No promises, Marko."

"I'll just go back to my room then! It's quiet there!"

"There's no cable TV in our rooms!"

"Yeah, well..."

Propping my head on my fist, I allow my thoughts to wander as my other Crewmate's chatter to fade into the background.

I wonder who Elon had to go meet with so urgently...

Maybe something came up back in Cali?

No, he would've told me if he had to leave Houston.

Maybe something about our Training came up?

An earlier or later Launch opportunity?

"Hey, Lau?" Mark's now much louder voice pulls me from my thoughts as I scramble to figure out what exactly I'd missed in their conversation.

"Hm? Yeah?" I smile, shaking my head with a soft chuckle. "Sorry, wasn't paying attention."

"Did the Boss actually tell you where he was headed in such a rush? I passed him on his way out; he seemed disheveled and pretty frantic, which is sorta unusual for him, I'd say."

"Yeah, he's usually pretty calm and collected," Vivi pipes up, shrugging while wiggling her eyebrows at me. "Maybe a certain someone's makin' him lose his level headedness, hm?"

I blush furiously once more, rolling my eyes.

"No, he didn't tell me where he was off to. Just to meet with, as he put it, 'someone important.' No idea who that could be, though." I explain, getting up from my seat and heading towards the Pantry.

"Could be the Administrator," The young man on the couch suggests, propping his feet up on the coffee table, the food now absent.

"Maybe," I murmur, leaving the younger duo in my wake as I step into the Pantry, my gaze scanning the shelves absentmindedly.

Who knows?

Only Elon, apparently.

****

Elon Musk's POV (Present Year: 2023)

I can't believe I hurt her like that.

I'm one hell of an idiot.

I broke her trust.

I shattered it into a million tiny pieces.

There's not really any way to fix that one easily.

I sigh, my rapid footfalls echoing off the hallway surrounding me.

And yet, she's still here.

She didn't just leave me alone.

Like everybody else has.

I figured by morning, I'd wake up and she'd be gone.

Maybe even on a flight back to Cali.

But no.

She stayed.

Laura stayed with me.

A small smile tugs at my lips as I pass through the main doors of the Crew Quarters and into the early morning sunshine, nodding at the few people that pass me by.

"I forgive you because I love you, Elon..."

Her soft voice rings through my thoughts, sending my heart into tizzy.

I mentally scold myself, chuckling softly.

Pull yourself together, Musk!

You're acting like a love-struck moron!

Sighing once more, I narrow my thoughts, focusing on the here and now, as well as what's to come.

I'm headed to speak with NASA Administrator, Jim Bridenstine.

No idea why he would want to speak to me, now that I'm essentially an Astronaut training in his facility, under his standards.

Well, the Government's, I guess.

But still.

Something about the whole situation isn't sitting right with me.

Or maybe it's the fact that I actually managed to fall back to sleep this morning, only to be woken up by the obnoxiously loud ringtone I have set on my phone.

"Whatever," I murmur with a shrug, reaching the front doors of the Complex's Main Office building, pulling them open and stepping inside.

Almost instantly, a slightly older woman rushes to greet me, a worn out, yet happy grin marking her features.

"If you'd follow me," She nods, quickly turning on her heel.

"Of course," I reply, quickly matching her strides as she leads me deeper into the building.

The route we take is different than any other time I've been here.

We pass cubicles, offices, even a small Cafeteria.

Where on Earth are we going?

My question is soon answered, however, as the woman I'd been following comes to a rather abrupt halt outside a plain looking door, tucked off to the side and out of the way of the hustle and bustle of things.

"Here we are. Mr. Administrator is waiting for you," My Guide informs plainly, turning to face me, her features void of all expression.

"Alright, thank you," I nod as the woman quickly leaves me alone in the hallway, almost as fast as she'd appeared.

Shoving aside a sudden yawn, I raise my knuckle to the cool metal door, rapping on it a few times before stepping back, waiting.

I wonder what he wants to speak to me about...

Did something come up that limits our Training?

An earlier Launch window?

My mind begins to race as I stand there, quickly becoming rather impatient.

"Hurry up, Jim," I mutter lowly, beginning to pace back and fourth, my hands finding their way into my jumpsuit pockets. "I got here right on time. Surely you can't be that busy."

Almost as if the man on the other side of the door had heard my mumbling, the door in front of me is quickly whisked open and I'm greeted by a familiar, smiling face.

"Mr. Musk," Jim Bridenstine grins, extending a hand out towards me as I meet him halfway, shaking his hand firmly.

"Mr. Administrator," I nod, returning his broad grin with a small smile of my own.

"Who knew you'd be where you are today, am I right?" The Administrator hums, taking a seat in the Office chair behind the lone desk in the room.

All I can really do is nod in agreeance as I take a seat across from him, eying him over carefully.

He seems to be pretty happy...

I guess it'd be safe to assume any topics we'll be talking about are good?

"I mean, it feels like just yesterday we launched Bob and Doug to the ISS in Crew Dragon for the first time," The man behind the desk reminisces, folding his hands in front of him neatly. "And now you're here, along with three other of your top employees, training for the first manned mission to Mars..."

"That would be the case," I agree, shifting in my seat slightly as Bridenstine leans back casually in his.

"You know, Elon, I always knew you were a go-getter, but offering yourself up to be one of the first people to step foot on Mars... and as Commander, nonetheless..." He pauses, sitting straight in his chair once more, his gaze meeting mine. "I applaud you Elon Musk, I really do."

I just nod slowly in acknowledgement.

"Someone had to do it, so I figured I'd volunteer myself," I explain.

The NASA Administrator nods, chuckling to himself before continuing.

"You're probably wondering why I called you up here this morning then, Commander."

I lean forward in my seat slightly, my attention instantly spiking.

"Yes, actually."

"Well, there are a variety of topics to cover, so we best get started," Jim sighs, taking a sip from the glass of water off to the side of his desk.

I raise an eyebrow questioningly as the man in front of me returns the cup to where it had been previously.

"How many topics are we talking about exactly?" I inquire, my look of questioning not leaving my features. "My Crew and I are supposed to be running our first collective Launch sim today."

"Yes, I am aware of that," He scoffs lightly, his tone turning serious. "Let's start with a simple question, shall we?"

The best I can do is nod.

"How prepared do you believe your Crew currently is?"

The question catches me off guard slightly.

I've been waiting for the final reports from everyone's Instructors...

"I was going to run today's Launch sim as a first assessment of readiness, however, from my current observations, everyone is working as hard as they can," I elaborate, my mind suddenly abuzz with things.

Why is he asking me this?

Maybe there is a closer Launch window?

"May 29th, 2024," Bridenstine announces, a hint of pride in his tone. "Your Crew and Starship will be ready by then, will they not?"

He just gave me a confirmed Launch date.

"Uh, yes! Of course!" I stammer, a sudden rush of excitement sweeping through me, though I shove it down.

"Good," He nods, a grin tugging at the edges of his lips. "Now that's set, your Crew and Mission are now known as MR-2 - Mars Two, if you will - on paper and everywhere else."

Once again, all I can do is nod in acknowledgement.

"Now, we've already gone ahead and made arrangements for all the necessary Press Conferences regarding the Launch, before and after your return..." Mr. Administrator trails off, sliding me a folder of papers across the desk.

Cautiously, I open the folder, a yearly calendar marked up with every Training session, Press event and anything else relating to MR-2 clearly detailed for each month.

"There are plenty of copies in there for ya'll," Jim smiles broadly, making his way to his feet as I quickly follow suit. "There's also some other stuff in there like Launch day procedures, what to expect when talking to Media, confidentiality guidelines... etcetera."

"Well, I'm not really quite sure what to say," I chuckle, slipping the folder under my arm as Bridenstine and I shake hands before heading towards the door. "Your team here at NASA has been nothing short of amazing, I'll tell you that much."

"Glad to hear it," The Administrator replies, a hint of amusement sliding into his tone as we reach the door.

Nodding my thanks, I reach for the door handle and pull open the door, continuing into the hallway.

"Oh, and Elon?"

I stop in my tracks, confusion settling upon my features while Jim just smirks.

"Man to man; I suggest you clear things up with the world about Laura Thompson before they become too muddled." 

I open my mouth to say something in reply, however, not a sound comes out. 

Instead, I allow a small smile to replace my confusion, nodding. 

"Good luck on the sims, this afternoon," Bridenstine grins back, turning back into his Office. 

"Thanks," I manage to reply as the Administrator vanishes from my view, the door to the room I had just been in swiftly closing with a click. 

Well, that was certainly not what I was expecting. 

I let out a breathy chuckle, running a hand through my hair as I make my way towards the exit, a new spring to my step. 

We've got a title, a launch date and a schedule. 

All that's left to do is make Laura and I official. 

Humming to myself, I push open the doors leading outside, my body running on autopilot as I quickly become lost in thought. 

I'll need to talk to her about how we approach all of this before I do anything... 

She does like communication between us. 

Maybe we could go stargazing again tonight after our sims, talk about everything then...

Yet another grin tugs at my lips, a surge of emotions flooding me. 

Pull it together, Elon. 

Chuckling to myself once more, I scan my ID badge against the front doors to the Crew Quarters, stepping inside the cool hallway. 

"Just give up already! I literally have you cornered in Ural and you can't run to Ukraine," Laura's usual soft voice is thick with humored anger as I wander down the hallway towards the Common Area. 

"I have enough armies for another roll! Let's go," Mark's rather cocky tone follows, causing me to roll my eyes. 

"He'll end up losing." 

"Defender rolls first," Vivian's rather bored tone reaches me as I come to a halt just outside the area where they're all playing what sounds like a game of RISK, apparently. 

As I listen to their chatter, I allow my thoughts to wander; and for a moment, I feel almost completely at ease. 

We're going to be fine. 

We've become a team; a family. 

Mars has no idea what's coming for it. 

"I'll be right back. And neither of you even think of touching any of my armies," Laura's warm voice pulls me from my thoughts, the sound of her footsteps approaching startling me slightly. 

Shaking myself from my headspace, I watch as she leaves the Common Area behind, heading down the hallway towards her room. 

Smirking to myself, I push myself off the wall I'd previously been leaning on, quickly following after her. 

Laura Thompson's POV (Present Year: 2023)

"Just give up already!" I laugh, shifting where I'm sitting on the floor, a RISK board littered with brightly colored armies in front of me; my two friends on opposite sides of the board. "I literally have you cornered in Ural and you can't run to Ukraine."

"I have enough armies for another roll! Let's go," Mark insists, picking up his set of dice yet again, ready to roll.

"Defender rolls first," Vivi yawns, sounding undeniably bored. 

"That'd be you, Marko." 

"Right." 

He rolls low, I roll high. 

"And I'll be taking Ural!" I exclaim, flicking off the remaining green colored armies on the small piece of land, moving my own blue ones on. 

"Fine, fine," Comes the response, a low grumble. 

"Alright, Vivi your-" I start, only to be interrupted by the feeling of my phone buzzing in my pocket. 

Confused, I fish the small device from my side, peering at the screen. 

"Is it the Commander?" Mark muses aloud, passing me a questioning glance. 

"No," I murmur, a sudden flame of panic swelling within me. "It's my Mother, I think..."

My friends both pass me glances of concern. 

"Why is that such a bad thing?" Vivian hums, confusion evident on her features, matching my own. 

"It's not. It's just... I haven't really kept her in the loop about... well, you know," 

"Ohhhh," Both people sitting on the floor with me sigh in unison, understanding resonating with them as I scramble to my feet, heading towards the exit of the Common Area.

"I'll be right back. And neither of you even think of touching any of my armies," I tease, sending a warning glare towards Mark. 

He just smirks in response. 

Sighing, I quickly leave the game of RISK behind, my thoughts instantly a whirlwind of things. 

Why would she be calling now, of all times? 

It's noon here... So that would make it around one back home in Florida... 

What if she's found out about everything going on in the Media about Elon and I? 

Will she be happy? Upset? 

Maybe I'll be completely disowned. 

My heart aches at that thought. 

At least I'd still have E... 

Speaking of Elon... 

I wonder what's taking him so long... 

Sighing heavily, I scan my ID badge against the door to my room, kicking it open and stepping inside. 

"Just phone her back and make small talk," I hum to myself, flopping down on my bed, staring at the ceiling above me. 

Alright, here goes nothing. 

With shaky hands, I tap on the phone icon, tapping on the most recent missed call titled 'June Thompson.' 

Sighing heavily once more, I raise the device to my ear, listening to those ominous dialing tones, waiting. 

Come on... Pick up already... 

"Hello?" 

My nerves instantly spike as my Mother's voice filters through the line, meeting my ear. 

"Hey, Mom! What's up?" 

"I was just wondering if you had some time to chat? I know you're usually pretty busy with work and all, but I really need to talk to you," The older woman on the opposite end of the call explains as my heart begins to pound in my chest. 

"Y-yeah," I stammer, putting the phone on the bed in front of me on speaker. "What's  there to chat about?" 

"Oh, there seems to be plenty, especially after everything that's gone on lately." 

My blood runs cold. 

She knows.