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February 12, 1992 — Cape Canaveral, FL 3:45 AM, EST
Shelby had never known that five days could come and go so quickly. It had been amazing to have everyone together again, even though Shelby had spent most of her time down at Kennedy, and the others had spent their time together on the beach, hanging out like old times. Shelby appreciated her friends coming together for the launch more than they could ever know, and she promised to bring them each a moon rock (or at least a moon pebble) if Dr. Feldstein allowed it. But now, the fun and games were over, and launch day had arrived. It would be the last day for a week that Shelby Colewell would grace the surface of Planet Earth.
They'd all woken up at the crack of dawn - well actually, before the crack of dawn, as the sun wouldn't appear on the eastern horizon for a few hours yet - to say their goodbyes before Tony drove Shelby to the space center. Everyone had wanted to do it, to have that last bit of time with the redhead before her "work trip, as Maggie called it, but they all knew the honor belonged to Tony, and only Tony.
So, Tony helped Shelby pack up the small bag she was bringing along to the space center, then got in her little white Jeep and drove her to work.
"You know, it almost feels like just any other day," Tony said, glancing over at Shelby. "Just me dropping you off at work. Not me, dropping you off to, well, the moon," he chuckled.
"Keep your eyes on the road, Stark," Shelby teased as Tony's eyes lingered on her. She trusted Tony with her life, but she was still a little nervous about allowing him to drive her prized vehicle.
Tony scoffed. "Now, Shelby Colewell, how can you expect me to keep my eyes on the boring Florida highway when the sight of you is sitting just inches away from me?"
Shelby rolled her eyes and swatted him gently with her hand. "Because you're driving my Jeep, Tony, and I would like to have it still in one piece for when I return."
Everyone else -- Rob, Lisa and Donna -- would be leaving Florida after the launch to get back to their respective jobs. Shelby was sad they wouldn't be there when she returned, but she knew they had jobs to do, and she was glad they had come at least to see her off. Tony, on the other hand, who now led his own multi-million dollar company, was his own boss and was thus allowed to take off as many days as he needed.
Besides - Shelby had a phone and a computer at her apartment, so he would be doing work from there. There was really no "taking a day off" when you're the heir of Stark Industries.
"Well, I'd like to have you in one piece when you return, so ... be careful up there." Tony said the words in a joking tone, but both of them knew the seriousness of what he was saying.
Shelby reached over, gently squeezing the hand of his that was absent from the steering wheel. "Don't worry, Tony. In a week's time, we'll be taking this same trip back to my apartment." She glanced longingly out the window, peering up at the moon, which still shone brightly in the night sky. In three days, she'd be standing on the silver sphere, not just looking at it. "I have to admit, none of this still feels real," she said with a deep sigh. "It feels like you're dropping me off for a school trip or something, but to summer camp, not the moon."
