Laura Thompson's POV (Present Year: 2023)

I awake with a start, bolting upright, panting heavily, my mind abuzz with confusion and uncertainty.

Where am I? What's going on? How'd I get here?

My gaze wanders around the room I'm currently in, the familiarity calming me as I sigh, dragging a palm down my face.

"I'm back at JSC," I murmur aloud, flopping back against the pillows, eyes fixated on the bleak ceiling above me. "But how?..."

Rolling onto my side, I allow my rather hazy gaze to examining the table beside me, my phone neatly sitting face up and plugged in.

I didn't plug that in....

My confusion continues to grow as I roll back into the soft pillows beneath me, once more pulling myself to a sitting position, my eyes scanning the room yet again.

That's Vivi's camera equipment... My jacket is draped over the back of the office chair...

With a rather tired huff, I swing my legs over the side of the bed, the coolness of the floor beneath my feet pulling me from my groggy state.

I'm still in the same sweatpants and t-shirt I had on from yesterday...

What is going on here?

Slumping forward slightly, I rest my chin on my knuckle, my gaze wandering the scene on the opposite side of the small window in front of me.

There's not really much movement going on outside, other than the few birds jumping and swooping around here and there.

However, making up for the absence of movement in the real word, my mind is bustling with thoughts.

I can't even say I recall getting back to JSC... The last thing I really remember is drifting off, watching the dotted white lines of the Interstate blur by...

A slight shiver makes its way up my spine as realization settles over me.

Elon must've brought me inside...

My cheeks begin to heat up as my train of thought continues.

Did he carry me?... Oh gosh... I hope no one saw anything...

Chuckling to myself and shaking away the thoughts, I leave my bed behind, strolling towards the bathroom, quickly looking myself over in the mirror.

"I look like a complete mess," I groan under my breath, turning the faucet on and wetting a nearby facecloth, dragging the cool object down my face before removing it with yet another laugh.

"Lookin' good!" I drawl in a lousy impression of some sort of Southern accent, shooting finger guns at my reflection.

Nice! Better mentality there, Lori!

I don't let my grin fade as I shrug off my current clothes, tossing them into the hamper, before pulling on the familiar blue jumpsuit and tying my hair back into a haphazard looking bun.

"I wonder what time we actually got back here at..." I mumble aloud, shutting off the lights as I leave the smaller room behind and head towards the larger room's exit, slipping into my military grade boots as I do so. "It couldn't have been that late... The Aquarium was only open till 8... We couldn't have been at the Pier for that long..."

Nodding to myself, I grab my lanyard and phone, as well as Vivian's camera equipment, before stepping out into the much cooler main hallway, wincing as my door practically slams shut, piercing the quiet atmosphere.

Oh well. Hopefully everyone else was already up and I didn't just wake them all.

I chuckle lightly at the thought, a rather clear image of a not-so-happy Mark explaining how tired he is because I was the one to wake him up.

"That'll likely happen eventually, seeing as we'll all be sharing a small space for a little over a year..."

I continue down the hallway towards the Common Area, my heavy footsteps slightly dampened by the carpet beneath me, though not entirely.

We decided last night that we'd finally make our relationship public to the world...

I sigh, my gaze not really focusing on anything in particular as the heavily decorated hallways on either side of me, pass me by as I continue onward.

I wonder if he's uploaded his post yet... Surely he would've tagged me...

Rounding the corner into the Common Area, still pondering over my thoughts, I practically run into Vivian, who stops me, midstride, my grabbing my wrist and yanking me towards her.

"How was last night?" She inquires, pulling me towards the couches as I take a seat with a small yawn, her upbeat and happy tone pulling me back to the present.

"It was good!" I beam, setting her camera equipment on the coffee table in front of us. "I should have gotten a few good pictures of the sky last night. It was absolutely stunning."

"I bet you Mars was pretty clear, huh?" My friend nods, her own grin not wavering.

"It certainly was!" I bubble in reply, a shared look of excitement settling between us. "It's crazy to think how close we are to Launch, isn't it?"

The woman across from me simply nods her head in agreement, an eager smirk tugging at her features.

"What else did you guys do last night? You were out pretty late, I'd be thinking," She asks, a trace of knowing in her tone.

"We went to the Aquarium in Downtown Houston," I explain, raising an eyebrow questioningly. "How'd you know we were out late?"

At this, my friend shakes her head, her smirk widening.

"I can't tell you that," She teases as I huff in annoyance, passing her a small death glare.

"Why not?" I press, a light trace of humor in my own tone.

Battling indecision, the woman in front of me finally breaks, a genuine happy smile plastered on her features.

"I watched Elon carry you inside," She explains, a giddy tone slipping into her voice as she continues. "I don't know how he managed to do it, but I watched him carry you from his car all the way to your room!"

Instantly, my face flushes red, the heat creeping its way up the back of my neck and spreading like wildfire across my cheeks.

"It must be nice having someone who cares about you that much," Vivi sighs softly, a sad, yet happy smile on her features as she leans closer to me, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm happy for you, Lori, I really am."

I pass her a small grin in return as the sound of two pairs of heavier footsteps sound from the entrance to the Common Area we're sitting in.

"Look who finally decided to crawl out of bed after a late night on the town!" The familiarly teasing voice of Mark jokes from behind me as I turn to face him.

"Ha ha," I reply, sarcasm dripping from my tone as the younger man punches me playfully on his way past into the kitchen, tossing me a smirk.

"You know, I actually am pretty hungry too, now that I think about it," Vivi stammers slightly, making her way to her feet and heading towards the kitchen as well, leaving just Elon and I yet again.

"Morning," He smiles warmly, a soft smirk tugging at his lips as he nears me, his gaze skimming me over as he does so.

"Hi," I murmur as I shift over on the couch I'm sitting on, making room beside me.

"How'd you sleep?" He muses, joining me at my side as I just smile even wider.

"Great!" I grin, my own jovial tune being matched by the man beside me. "You?"

"As good as I could've," Comes the reply as I lean closer to him, resting my head on his shoulder. "But I do sleep better when you're around."

"Well in that case," I chuckle, a light blush dusting my cheeks. "I guess I should stumble into your room more often."

Both of us share a small laugh as our other two Crewmates re-appear, bowls of cereal in hand.

"What's on the agenda today, Boss?" Mark questions aloud before taking a bite of his breakfast, eyeing the pair of us over with a slightly knowing smirk.

"Well," Elon starts as I shift away from him slightly, knowing that we're quickly getting back down to business now. "As we all know, our first simulation with all four of us did not go as planned, which means we are seemingly not quite prepared."

"So its a day of sims then. Gotcha," The youngest member of the MR-2 Crew nods enthusiastically, continuing to much away on his breakfast.

"We'll aim to be at the simulator for..." My Partner trails off, glancing at the clock mounted above the TV. "9:30? How does that sound for everyone?"

Everyone simply nods in reply, including myself.

"Alright, its settled then. Starship sim: 9:30," The man beside me concludes, making his way to his feet rather abruptly before turning to face me, a look of 'I want to talk to you, alone' in his eyes.

Nodding with my gaze, I gently grasp his outstretched hand, coming to a standing position beside him seconds later.

"See you lovebirds later," Vivian teases, a knowing smirk falling across her features, her arms crossed across her chest as I shoot her a genuine death glare this time.

Wordlessly, Elon and I leave the Common Area and our other Crewmembers behind, the sound of our synchronized, rather heavy, cadences the only sound between the two of us.

As we leave the Crew Quarters building behind, my boyfriend almost immediately loosens his grip on my hand before it entirely disappears.

Confused, I pass a rather questioning glance to the man keeping pace with me.

"What?" He muses, confusion etched on his own features, only to be quickly replaced with realization as he swiftly links arms with me.

"Better?" He hums as we slow our paces slightly, passing the last large building at the Complex and continuing onward.

"Yes," I smile up at him, receiving his ever oh so brilliant grin in return.

Continuing on in our usual comfortable silence, we approach a nearby bench, taking a seat.

As we sit there, watching the white Cumulus clouds roll by like dots in the brilliant blue sky of Houston, Texas, I can't help but practically feel completely at ease.

It's been a while since I've actually been able to feel this relaxed around JSC... But, who knows how long that will actually last... I guarantee the Media will be here any day now...

"Have you posted anything yet?" I murmur, turning to face my Partner, who's gaze had somehow already been focused on me.

He offers me a small smile.

"I was waiting for you," Elon explains, pulling his phone from his pocket unlocking it and handing it to me. "You do the honors."

I peer at the small screen in front of me, my heart fluttering in my chest slightly.

Like he had suggested last night, there indeed are two pictures attached to the post, one of both of us decked out in our Flightsuits, worn out yet happy, accomplished expressions on both of our features (this was a picture Vivian had insisted we had taken of us beside the first flight simulator for "memory's sake" as she had put it) the other image, however, catches me off guard slightly.

It's what appears to be a silhouette of me, surrounded by walls of water on either side, accompanied by quite a few various sea creatures.

I let out a light laugh, my attention swiveling from the device to the person beside me.

"Your photography skills aren't so bad!" I grin while focusing once more on the screen.

"It's easy when I have an absolutely stunning model to work with," The man beside me compliments, a teasing, yet genuine tone to his voice.

"Oh, shut it," I chuckle, elbowing him gently as I allow my gaze to wander over the few words attached to the two images.

'I'd say we make a pretty good team. Don't ya think, lorilei? Mars has no idea what's coming for it!'

"That's quite a tag-line," I hum, passing the device back to its owner. "Decided to go the clear yet not-so-clear route, I see?"

Elon just passes me a look along the lines of 'are you crazy?'

"How else would you like me to word things?" He questions, a slight frown falling across his features. "Hey everyone! This is my girlfriend!?"

"I mean, I guess," I chuckle. "Wouldn't you rather be blunt and avoid any confusion?"

"Sure, but what if your parents-"

"Don't worry about them," I interrupt, cutting him of mid-sentence. "I'd actually rather they know directly from you than continue to make assumptions about everything."

"Alright, if you say so..." Elon trails off, tapping away at the device's screen before once more handing it back my way.

The caption now reads exactly what he had just said aloud, plus my tagged Twitter profile.

"That works."

"Then post it," Comes the reply.

Sighing heavily, I tear my eyes from the small screen, bringing them up to meet my boyfriend's gaze.

His eyes carry their familiar gleam of warmth, support, optimism, inspiration and most of all; love and admiration.

"You're sure about this?"

"Of course," He murmurs, pulling me closer into his side. "Are you sure about this?"

"E," I start, a hint of exasperation in my tone. "It's your image that will suffer more than mine if something were to ever happen between us... So, I'm asking you if you're sure about all this."

I feel his entire form stiffen beside me as he leans down closer to me.

"I'm 100% sure about all of this, Love," He murmurs as the rather foreign feeling of his lips against the top of my head resonates with me, causing a smile to creep across my face. "But I just don't want to drag you into anything you don't think you're ready for."

"I'll be fine," I laugh lightly, snuggling closer into his side. "I have you and you have me. We'll both be fine."

"Then what are you waiting for?" The man beside me mumbles, a grin evidently displayed across his features.

With yet another sigh, I re-focus on the screen in front of me, my thumb hovering over the small blue button that will post us to the World.

Well, here goes nothing, I guess.

Hastily, I press my thumb firmly against the touchscreen, confirming the action, before practically throwing the device back to its owner.

"There! It's done!" I exclaim rather loudly, urging the pounding in my head brought on by the sudden minor rush of adrenaline to calm, my breathing slowly becoming steadier. "It's done..."

I raise my gaze towards Elon, who is already staring back at me with a look of such geninue happiness on display, my heart instantly flutters, my lips turning upwards into a broad smile.

No words are exchanged as we both make our way to our feet, leaving the bench behind, hand in hand.

I did it.

It's official.

The World now knows that I am now officially dating Elon Musk.

Mentally, I can't help but laugh with a shake of my head.

Who knew this would all happen.

And who knows what's to come.

One thing is for sure though; and that's our Flight Sim.

"We should probably pick up the pace, hm?" I muse aloud, glancing at the watch on my wrist.

The small digital display reads 9:27 AM.

I watch through my peripheral vison as Elon just smirks, shaking his head with a small shrug.

"They can wait," He hums lowly, tightening his grip around my hand slightly. "Right now, I'm enjoying your company."

"So am I," I reply, a trace of humor in my voice. "But we've got work to do."

"No," My boyfriend pouts ever so slightly before turning to pass me a lopsided, goofy grin. "You're the one always telling me to take breaks and here we are!"

"Breaks at reasonable times, Elon!" I scold playfully, quickening my pace, as does he. "Come on, Mark and Vivian will be waiting for us, and we don't want to be late again."

"Fine, fine, you're right," My Partner mumbles, raising his unoccupied hand in mock surrender, tossing me yet another one of his brilliant smiles. "It's a good thing I have you to help me stay on track, huh?"

"Yeah, maybe I can actually break your habit of showing up late to everything!" I retort as we both share a light laugh, nearing the building housing the Starship simulator.

"Hey!" He protests, "That's practically my trademark!"

"It's not a good one!"

"I never said it was!"

"You know, you're difficult sometimes."

"Why thank you."

"Would you just-"

"Shut up? No. No, I cannot."

I shake my head with a grin, a familiar warm and fuzzy feeling falling over me as we make our way into the building and through its small lobby.

Oh Elon... The things you do to me...

****

"Starship SpaceX, nominal orbital insertion. Stand-by for refilling preparation instructions," A rather bored sounding tone on the opposite end of the walkie-talkie once again clipped to Vivian's seat harness crackles.

With a heavy sigh, I lower my gaze from the main screen displayed in front of us, the technical readouts all hovering perfectly in the green zones, exactly where they should be.

"Roger that, Ground. Standing by," Our Communications specialist replies, her tone sounding upbeat and positive as she unbuckles her harness, stretching as she does so.

"Hey, we didn't go kablooey!" Mark laughs as he follows Vivi's lead, slipping out of his own seat with a yawn.

"Yeah, we didn't," I mutter, leaving my own seat behind and heading towards the exit, the feeling of practically every muscle in my body screaming out in slight twinges of pain.

Stumbling slightly, I make my way down the small set of metal stairs leading to the main access hatch into the simulator, the soles of my boots biting against the rough surface.

"Great job, guys!" Jason, the Instructor who had supervised Elon and I in the first Flight Sims bubbles, a rather proud looking grin falling across his features as he rushes towards me, my Partner following closely behind.

"Fancy meeting you here!" I smile, shaking the older man's hand firmly as he nears, a slight pressure on my shoulder signaling to me that Elon had made it to my side.

"Likewise," I nod before the man in front of me turns to shake my Partner's hand.

"Elon," Jason nods rather formally while my boyfriend lets out a light chuckle.

"Glad to see we're finally on a first name basis around here," He smiles, the familiar feeling of his arm around my torso resonating with me as I step closer to his side.

Seeing this, our Instructor just smiles even wider, if that's even possible.

"Glad to see the pair of yous finally got on the same level, I see?" Jason smirks, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

I fight back a slight blush while Elon just pulls me closer into him.

"You've seen the post, then?" I laugh nervously, my gaze drifting from the older gentleman's to the tiled floor beneath us.

"Who hasn't?" The man in front of both of us cheers, beginning to head towards the exit behind us. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some bets to pay off with Ms. Mary Lee!"

I watch as Jason resumes his strides, clapping Elon on the back in a friendly fashion before stopping at the door, turning to face both of us once more.

"Glad to see you two together. We all are."

Then, without a word, the older man swiftly turns on his heel and heads out the door, disappearing from my view.

"Well, everybody knows now," I mumble into the side I'm pressed against as we both head towards the couches shoved off to the side of the room, our other two Crewmates already there, casually scrolling through their phones.

However, as Elon and I both take a seat on the conveniently empty smaller loveseat couch, Vivian lowers her device, a smirk plastered on her features.

"I saw the post," She squeals softly, nodding slightly to my Partner. "You never told us you were handy with a camera, Elon!"

"It's easy when I have a stunning model," He smirks in response, earning a light jab to the ribs from me.

"Oh, shut it," I grumble, fighting the blush off my face.

"Awwww! You two are just so cute!..." My friend shrieks once more before silencing herself with a light laugh, her attention yet again buried in her phone.

A silence falls across the four of us as we all quickly become swept up in our own little worlds, the occasional beeps and whirs from the computer equipment behind us, along with the sounds of a few people typing and chatting in hushed voices.

I allow my gaze to skim over the two younger folks in front of me and then back to my Partner, who's at my side.

It's crazy to think I'll be going to Mars with these people...

We'll be the first humans to have ever stepped foot on the Red Planet's surface...

Isn't that such a crazy thought?...

Humming contentedly, I sink deeper into the couch cushions, embracing the peaceful quiet for the time being.

The silence only lasts for so long, however, as a shrill sounding alarm tone sounds from the pocket of my Flightsuit, causing everyone in the room to jump in surprise, myself included.

"What the heck?!" I exclaim in surprise, glancing at everyone else as I pull the device from my pocket. "Who would be calling me at this time of day?"

Mark and Vivi simply shrug and resume their scrolling, while I feel Elon's form tense beside me.

"Who is it?" He murmurs, both of our gazes fixating on the screen in my hands, my heart sinking as I read the caller ID.

"It's my Mother," I sigh heavily, shrugging myself away from my boyfriend's side and making my way hastily towards the exit. "I guess I'll be back shortly, then."

"Do you want me to-" I hear Elon call out as I leave the room behind, his voice, along with others, fading as I push my way into the warm afternoon Texas sunshine, my phone still continuing its squawking.

What could Mom want now?

I thought I made it clear that she could choose whatever she wants to believe!

I huff in annoyance, taking a seat on a nearby bench before sliding my finger across my phone's screen, accepting the call and bringing it to my ear.

"Hello?" I answer, a tone of absolute boredom and annoyance clearly evident.

The other end of the line crackles slightly before my Mother's disapproving and angry tone filters through.

"Laura! I told you to cut off your relations with that man, and yet here you are; his girlfriend of all the damned things!"

I bite my tongue with yet another heavy sigh, resisting the urge to yell back in response.

Yelling won't get us anywhere...

But apparently she's seen E's post.

A small smile tugs at my lips.

Good.

"You saw the post?" I hum in reply, a slight sneer to my tone. "What did you think of the pictures?"

"Yes, we saw the post," June snarls, followed promptly by huff of disapproval. "And those pictures... Frankly, they make me feel sick!"

I can't help but chuckle at my Mother's reply.

"That is unfortunate," I state plainly as the woman on the opposite end of the line resumes her yelling once again.

I lower the device from my ear, shaking my head with a sigh.

If we can't resolve this...

It's gonna tear any sort of relationship with my Parents to complete shreds.

Absentmindedly, I tap on my phone's screen, turning it on speaker.

"You're getting into a world of trouble you know nothing about!" My Mother protests as I laugh once more.

"And what do you know about any of it? Hm?"

"More than you, quite likely!"

"Mom!" I practically yell, disbelief rooted deep within my voice. "You're not even here! You haven't even met Elon, and you're already making every negative assumption on the face of planet Earth!"

The line goes momentailry silent as I allow my gaze to wander over the building I had just come from, my eyes widening slightly as a familair figure emerges through the doors.

Mentally, I can't help but shout out in relief as a visible smile tugs at my lips.

Who would've seen that one coming? Speak and you shall receive, I guess.

Waving from the bench I'm sitting on, I beckon Elon over, his movements clearly stiff with concern as he nears, silently taking a seat beside me.

"... I just don't understand how you can trust someone like that! There is a reason they say not to trust people with wealth! You're making a mistake, Laura! A monumental one!"

I roll my eyes with a rather sad shrug as my Partner frowns, hearing my Mother on the opposite end of the line.

"Mom," I begin once more, my tone much more steely this time around. "There are numerous other things that we can be talking about right now but you-"

Before I can finish, however, I'm interrupted by June's continuing fit of rage.

"We both saw his post, Laura. In fact, the entire world has probably seen it by now! Can't you see how much of an issue-"

"Did you call just to yell at me some more? Or is there an actual point here?" I bark, the lady on the opposite end instantly fading to silence. "I'm actually supposed to be getting back to a very important Flight Simulation, currently, so if you have nothing else to say that's worth me listening to, I'll be hanging up."

"No. Do not hang up Laura! Do not hang up the damned phone!"

"Listen! I will call you back sometime just so you can yell at all my life choices, yet again! How does that sound?" I snarl, sarcasm dripping from my every word as I reach towards the small circle on the screen to end the call.

"Laura Thompson! Do not hang up this call! That is an-"

"Order? I think not," I suddenly hear Elon's cool yet steely voice sound from beside me as I turn to him, alarm ringing through me.

'What are you doing?!' I mouth, eyes wide in complete shock as my boyfriend gently picks up the device that had been sitting between us seconds ago, his gaze skimming over the screen and call-time.

"Who is this?" My Mother's irritated tone sounds, a slight hint of confusion also mixed in.

"Take a guess," Elon jokes half-heartedly, before continuing. "It's Elon. Your daughter's boyfriend who I've heard you aren't quite sure of?"

The opposite end of the line is blanketed in a layer of stunned silence.

"Ah yes, hello," June's now much calmer voice filters through, earning an eye-roll from the man next to me.

"Yeah, I've heard you're not too sure about everything going on between Laura and I?" My Partner hums, tone instinctively slipping into slightly professional sounding.

"That would be correct..."

I just sit there in complete shock, watching as my boyfriend chats away with my Mother who is completely unaware he's heard everything she's had to say about him.

Funny, she won't actually say any of what she's told me to his face.

"Well, Mrs. Thompson, I can assure you that you and your husband have no reason to worry. Your daughter is safe with me, as well as the rest of our Team and Crew."

Once again, June seems at a loss for words.

"A-alright," She stammers, clearly unnerved by the sudden turn of events. "Thank you for your assurance."

"You're welcome," Elon replies, a slight hint of defensiveness creeping its way into his tone. "And don't feel hesitant to reach out; I check my Twitter quite often."

"Yes, I'm aware," My Mother grumbles before ending the call abruptly with a barely inaudible "goodbye."

Neither of us speak or move a muscle as we sit there, processing what just happened.

Did he literally just politely tell my Mother off?

"Elon..." I start, turning to face him, a likely look of disbelief still plastered across my features. "Did you seriously just do what I think you did?"

"What?" He smirks, handing the device back over to me before crossing his arms over his chest. "Politely tell your Parents to shove off and deal with me, instead of you?"

I simply nod, a giggle rising in my throat.

"Who? Me? Never!" He gasps, feigning offence before letting out a light chuckle.

"Thank you for jumping in like that," I murmur aloud, raising my gaze towards the heavens, watching as the clouds roll by in the breeze. "I was literally about to hang up and who knows what would've happened the next time she called if I had done that."

"No problem," He grins, gently squeezing my hand as I sign of reassurance as I lower my gaze back to him. "I'm just hoping things will calm down for you a bit now."

"Yeah..." I trail off, resting my head against his shoulder with a content sigh. "I hope so too."

We stay like that for a few more moments, enjoying each other's presence as the clouds continue to roll on by.

"We best head back in there, dontcha think?" He mumbles softly from my side, the tone of his voice sending a slight shiver dancing down my spine.

"Likely," I reply, my own voice just as soft. "We still need to go over our Refilling and Interplanetary travel procedures."

"Aaand that'll likely take the rest of the afternoon," Elon drawls as he helps me to my feet and we quickly leave the bench behind, our cadences syncing.

"Hey," I shrug as we step into the small lobby of the Simulator building. "There are numerous other, worse, things we could be stuck doing, but instead, we're preparing for our journey to Mars."

"True fact," Comes the response, a low hum.

As we enter the room and clamber up the Starship sim's stairs, I can't help but grin.

Just a few more months, and then we'll be doing this for real.

Crazy how time just flies by, isn't it?