There were times when he imagined the what ifs and where would they be's of being in a normal relationship. Ross knew he would still be with Laura, no matter what, but he often wondered where they would be, what they would be doing, and most of all, what it felt like if there were no cameras following them as they ran mundane errands like the ones they were doing right now. They had stopped at Starbucks to sample the new secret menu drink they both couldn't stop thinking about, they headed to meet up with her stylist for a quick fitting for the upcoming SAG Awards that they both were going to (she had told him that he was going to be her eye candy), they stopped by a local store to grab a few household things for her apartment and as he pulled into the parking lot of the closest Ralph's grocery store, it was then he really began to wonder what it would be like.

Her star power was a pretty good size, but now that they were out together, with a movie coming out, his band starting to lay down beats and tracks and whispers around about a new album, plus his new project announcement coming fairly shortly, the paparazzi that were once only one or two guys had turned into fifteen. Maybe more. Ross lost count after five as they headed into the store to stock up on food since she had been running low.

After returning from their holiday getaway, Ross found himself wanting to return now more than ever. Ellington had stolen Rydel away for another post-engagement getaway and Ross was thinking about the same damn thing right now. Granted, they were not the Justin Theroux and Jennifer Aniston, or even the Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan of their generation, but that didn't stop the cameras from following. He was thinking of somewhere off the beaten path, where they could be a bit adventurous and silly and just relax before things got even busier with the upcoming promo duties for Into Thin Air.

Pushing on the cart, Ross watched her toss random things into the basket and checking off things from the list in her hand. It would be somewhere so off the beaten path that it would take an actual guide to get them there, but still somewhere where it was the most amazing place with the best views and best food and best people around. That would be something he would love to share with her. Maybe before Permafrost started...and after the awards. That brought up even more oddness to him. After spending so much time on the road, he wasn't sure he was cut out for the carpet life anymore. She could teach him. She was good on the carpet. She was always stunning, kind and took time for almost every outlet. Put that on the extremely long list of why he loved Laura.

"Ross," she pulled his attention by shaking a box of cereal she knew was his favorite. He shook away his dreamy stare on her and concentrated on the best Captain ever, Cap'n Crunch as she placed it on top of her own favorite cereal already in the cart, Honeycomb. "You seem a little lost there..."

He scratched the top of his head. "Kind of. Just thinking about these awards. I haven't walked a carpet in a long time," he confessed, stretching out the emphasis on 'long'.

Laura giggled at him as they circled around to the next aisle - his favorite aisle: chips and snacks. "I think you'll be fine. You've always owned every carpet you go on."

"That's when I'm with the band though. Usually, Rydel has to place me where I'm supposed to stand and smile. It's just me and you this time around."

He watched her bite her bottom lip and her mouth curve into a big smile. "Gotta have my arm candy," she winked as he threw a bag of snacks into the cart. "I just realized that this is our first carpet together. Like, real first carpet."

"We've done carpets before."

"But not as a couple," she pointed out. "It's like our debut as an official Hollywood couple; and I regret saying that as soon as it came out of my mouth. But you get what I'm saying here right?"

He nodded. He did. It was their official debut as a couple on a red carpet and for this town, it was a big deal. He wasn't attending the event for himself, he was going to be there for her, as her arm candy; and he was definitely okay with that. Laura was actually nominated for not just one, but two awards. The first was for the entire cast of First Aid and Laura was nominated for Female Actor in a Drama Series as well. She'd been nominated before, but hadn't won. He was kind of hoping this was her year.

"I may need some tips."

"You don't need any tips, Ross. You'll be fine."

Ross moved from the back of the cart to the front and wrapped his arms around her middle from behind. Nipping at her ear, he pulled her into him. "Only because I'll be with you the entire night."

Laura circled around, her arms looping around his neck. "All night."

"I can't wait for you to win this year," he said, kissing her quickly.

"You mean if," she pointed out, tossing her chosen snack into the cart next to them and started to push it along. "I'm up against some pretty big stars."

"You are a pretty big star."

"You are so biased," she shook her head before they started to finish up the rest of the shopping.

In between picking out more food and yummy fruits and even the makings for a giant pizza because they both were craving it as soon as they saw the ingredients, they talked about the show and just how many reporters she would be talking to in just four days time. She caught him up on who was who in First Aid and told him of the people she knew were coming and those that were not. By the time they paid for everything and were about to leave, he didn't even care about the paparazzi who chose to stay and wait around for them. He was still concentrating on perfecting his red carpet walk that she had modeled for him in the frozen aisle and still looking forward of the pizza they were going to make as soon as they got to her place; and beyond that, he was dreaming of getting away with her sooner rather than later. He'd just have to get her schedule and his, to see if he could pull it all off. Crossing fingers, he could.

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Laura had gone to bed long ago - well, not that long, but it felt like it was a long time since he had been staring at his computer screen for the past two hours. After getting a quick recap of the SAG Awards (just for reference), and breezing through his email, he was now doing his research on getaways they could take together and as he read up on each and every option, Ross knew he had found the one. This was the place he would be taking her just because...or if his calculations were right, they would be approaching seven months. Seven months of complete amazingness and he was wondering just how he went five long years without her constantly in his life. She was one of the most wonderful things in it and he wanted to show her that. Hopefully a trip would do it.

Checking back in on his email, Ross didn't hear her get up from her slumber and join him back out in the dining area. He scrolled down his inbox just as her hand slid down his shoulder and onto his chest from behind. Startling him at first, Ross pulled his hand to cover her arm and started to rub it up and down.

"Why are you still up?" You could hear the sleepiness in her voice.

"Checking emails," he told her, not wanting to get her hopes up about something that may or may not happen, depending on their schedules.

"Well, stop that and come to bed," she mumbled and he felt her hair tickle his ear as she kissed his head. "It's not warm without you there and I need you there to really sleep."

Shutting down the computer, he placed it in the middle of the table and pulled her around to sit in his lap. He instantly covered her bare legs with his hands and made his fingers crawl up her skin and over her robe to the loose tie that barely held it close around her barely there sleepwear. "Is that so?"

"Very," she nodded, their noses rubbing up against each other.

"Cold and lonely bed...I think we can remedy that," Ross captured her lips in a soft, feathery kiss. He only meant for it to be just that; just a little kiss that was full of sweetness and sugar, not with spice like it was turning into. But who was he kidding? Every time he was near Laura, he wanted to kiss her and have his hands all over her; he wanted to be so close to her that there would be no room for anything else. Their relationship was much more than just sex, but for seven months going strong, sex was definitely a big plus for the both of them. Pulling her closer to him, he kissed her more and moved her hair away from her face to the back of her neck. His hands were getting tangled in it but he wasn't complaining. Especially not when she was moving one of her legs to the other side of him and straddling him, giving him the closeness he was craving.

Ross shed her robe for her, pulling it away from her frame and started to caress the softness of the skin around her waist. The loose camisole that she had chosen to wear to sleep in was extremely sexy but as much as he liked seeing her in it, he liked it better on the floor. Biting on her lip, his mouth left the comfort of her mouth to suck down the length of her neck as she arched back and he took the moment to lift her up and set her on top of the table. He knew her true intention was to get him back into the bedroom for sleep, but this seemed to be their thing; the getting turned on by one little thing when they were almost in deep slumber. Laura's hands went to his pants, but before she could shimmy them over his hips and down his legs, he pulled her back up into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist.

"What..."

"We're not doing anything on the table," he told her as he walked them back to the bedroom. "First, your back would be killing you in the morning and then you would kill me for doing it on the table. Bed is better."

Ross let her down softly onto the bed before tossing his pants aside from where she pushed them down to. He stripped her of her boy shorts and the camisole joined them shortly after. Yea, this was their thing. Lovemaking that came out of nowhere and he honestly, would not have it any other way.

+++

"Is that it? That's where we're going?" Ross read from the script in front of him, standing near the entry way of Laura's apartment while she sat on the sofa, reading all the other lines back to him.

"That's it. That's where we're going," she took a beat as she read the words of Korli Lennox, a scientist on the mission he was accompanying his sister on. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"Beautiful? I don't see beautiful. I see cold and icy and frozen and a wasteland."

"I can assure you it's not a wasteland," she read more from the script before switching to another character, this time with a deeper voice to imitate the person. "This 'wasteland' is more valuable than you are."

Ross snorted towards her like he would the character and flipped the page, reading over the description on the next page: The group stares out onto the frozen tundra and tries to keep warm from the dropping temperatures. They stare at their future for the next year. Joseph looks disappointed and distraught. Korli looks full of hope and Silas looks at the challenge in front of him as the team's leader.

The next scene was starting to get set up and Laura read the description once more. "Okay, now you're still on the boat and making sure everything is secure because you're entering choppy waters closer to the docks set up. Everything is going smooth and steady until the boat bounces off an iceberg."

"Dammit, Larkin, I told you to nail that thing down!" Ross yells as Joseph, who will be racing to save a piece of equipment that is worth millions of dollars. "Tie it down again."

"I did tie it down," Laura snaps as the character.

"If you did, I wouldn't have had to chase after it."

Ross and Laura went back and forth through the entire script and now on the last page, was where it really got interesting. Joseph and his sister Claudina were now faced with a choice - to leave or to stay in the oasis of Antarctica. Two of the team members had already chosen to return and it was their turn now. Stay forever or go without any memory of it.

"What will Mom and Dad think?"

"I think..." Ross ran his hand through his hair and sat down next to Laura on the couch, like he would be doing on the set. "I don't know what they would think, but we need to stay. You need to stay and I'm not leaving your side."

"Joey..."

"You're doing important work, or you were and now you have this opportunity to discover what this is all about. We should stay."

"We're never going to see Mom or Dad again. What about Andy...or even Mars? Joey, your dog..."

"I love Mars, but I love you more." His hand covered hers. "Do you want to stay?"

Laura didn't say anything as Claudina, but she nodded. Claudina did want to stay.

Closing the script in her hands, Laura pulled her legs from leaning on the table in front of her to underneath her and turned towards Ross. "I like this show already."

"You do?"

"Yea and not just because there's a hot guy that I get to sleep with on it," she smiled at him. "It's got a bit of everything. Mystery, family, romance, a little bit of thrill. If you weren't on it, I'd want to be on it. I can't wait to see you in it." Laura leaned up and gave him a little cheek kiss.

Ross squeezed her knee. "Thanks babe. I'm excited to get started on it."

"Do you know who's playing Claudina yet?"

He shook his head. They were only two weeks away from starting to film in Vancouver, the role of Claudina Michaelson was still vacant. Ross was secretly hoping the casting department was just keeping it a secret from him, but he heard from Sean that even he didn't know. In just a week he'd be off to Hollywood North and be staying for three weeks after that. That meant he was missing The Grammys and The BAFTAs...not that he was going to the BAFTAs at all, but the band had been invited to the former. Calum had even given him a list of places he had to go to while he was there and Ross was actually looking forward to it.

While he was there, Laura would be just a hop and skip away in Seattle for her new movie. He was hoping that they'd both be able to cross the border over to each other at least once or twice. There would be skype dates and real dates and dates without the fear of paparazzi...yea, this would be nice.

"I'm anxious to know though. She's gonna be this cool little person and I get to be an over protective big brother. Never been one."

"Not even for Ryland?"

Ross shook his head. "Not really. That was Riker's job. He's a good older brother."

Laura nodded in agreement. "I will agree with that one. You nervous about tomorrow?"

"A little. I know to stick with Mona and hold your hand and show you off, because, why wouldn't I?"

"And I'll be the one dragging you away from Mona to stay by my side. I'm serious."

Ross smiled down at her as they lounged on the sofa, and tossed his script back on the table in front of him, joining the one she had placed there just moments before. "Thanks for running lines with me."

"Anytime."

There was that smile; the smile that lit up her entire face and he would never tire of seeing it or causing it to appear. The more he made it come out, the better. "What time is your team coming here tomorrow again?"

"Around ten thirty or so," she explained. "It's shower, hair, makeup, dress and then the car gets here around two and we're off to the carpet."

"Are you nervous?" Ross asked from the kitchen as he was grabbing a glass of water for them both. "Think you're going to win?"

"Nah, I don't think I am," Laura stretched out her legs across the cushions.

"I think you might."

"You are biased," she pointed out and he was. He most definitely was. "But when you're up against Taylor Schilling and Kristen Bell, who have won so many times and are a sho-in for the award...yea, not going to win that."

"You underestimate yourself, you know that?" He sat back down, setting the glasses down before pulling up her legs so her feet sat on his lap. "The first ever thing that I noticed about you was not your smile or your eyes or these amazing legs. It was your confidence and believing that you could do anything...like challenge a scrawny little fifteen-year-old in a race around the studio like it was an obstacle course."

"I beat you too."

He nodded, recalling the slightly embarrassing moment. "You've always had more confidence than anyone else I know. Why you don't have confidence about this is confusing me though. You do know you have more talent in your pinky than I do in any part of body, right?"

Laura shrugged before getting that teasing look on her face. "I don't know about that. I mean, I know one body part that's really talented."

As much as he wanted to thank her and show her even more talent at that very moment, Ross gave her a serious look instead. "Laur..."

"I know you're right. I should have a bit more but these aren't the Emmys or People's Choice...these are the SAGs, where it's from all our peers. You know? I'm not nervous, but I'm not not nervous."

"You're going to win," he told her confidently and reached for the remote for the television. "I'll show you why."

"What?"

He scrolled through his Netflix account, getting to some of his marked favorite episodes of her show. He wasn't lying when he told her he had binge watched almost the entire series during his five weeks off after returning from tour last year. From the first episode to mid season three was where he stopped off at which was right around the time that Jennifer Sutton was sleeping with two different guys and causing hell all around the town. It was also the time where Beth, who was played by Cassandra Leung and also his favorite character, was knee deep in so much shit that it he couldn't not watch the next episode because he wanted to know what was going to happen.

"We're not watching this."

"Yes we are," he pressed play and pulled the bottom of her legs closer to him just as he put his own feet up on the ottoman. "I told you I'm going to show you why you're going to win."

"But I don't like watching myself."

"No one does, but I'm making you and then," he looked over at her for a beat. "Then you're going to tell me if Austin really could get Ally off like Marco does Jennifer."

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