A/N: This is the first non-canon piece I've written for any fandom in a while, and my first major Maddy/Mark attempt. Don't like making life easy for myself!
I tried my hardest at keeping everyone in-character in what could quickly become a very OOC situation, I hope you enjoy. Comments are welcomed.
"So, do you have your costume planned yet?"
Maddy looked up as Mark fell into step with her. "Hello to you too." She grinned, before his words had properly processed in her head. "Wait, sorry. Did you say costume?"
"Yes…" Mark said slowly. "For Halloween?"
Maddy stopped suddenly and gaped at him. "Wow. You actually do that here? Well, I guess I mean we now but… really?"
"Sure do." He said, grinning brightly. "It's in a couple of days if you follow the colony calendar."
"Sorry it's just… well, we never really did that at home. It kinda mostly died out since rebreathers aren't the easiest things to fit around a witch's outfit and if you weren't in the domes it wasn't an appealing prospect to go out trick or treating." Maddy explained. "It was just something mentioned in passing as another old tradition that we lost due to… well, everything."
"I don't think we'd have it here if it wasn't for Lieutenant Washington."
Maddy laughed for a moment, before she realised Mark wasn't joking with her. "Seriously?"
He nodded. "It's her favourite holiday."
"You're kidding right?" Maddy frowned and if she hadn't been so thrown by Mark's words she probably would have noticed the way his gaze redirected over her right shoulder. "She doesn't exactly strike me as the kind of person who-."
"Knows how to have fun?" Came an amused voice from behind her and Maddy froze, eyes widening at Mark as he started to chuckle.
She shook her head a minute amount in a desperate plea which Mark nodded gleefully in response to. Turning on her heel, Maddy found herself face to face with Alicia Washington, the older woman's arms full of a crate of what looked like… "Are those pumpkins?"
"They are. Well… our best approximation of them." Alicia replied, looking down at the mottled yellow skin.
"Wow. I never thought I'd see one of those." Maddy said, reaching out to touch the fruit and smiling broadly at the feel of it. "I think they still had them in the domes but there wasn't as much demand once Halloween disappeared, as you can imagine. I always wondered though… Can I have one?" She asked suddenly.
Alicia blinked in response to the sudden question, as close to an expression of surprise as she was likely to get. "Of course, if you'll carve it."
"Carve it? Really?" Maddy said, excitement bubbling inside as she thought of all the designs she could try out. "Can I have more than one? I'd hate to mess my only chance up and I've got like a million ideas right now."
"I could use all the help I can get." Alicia said, eyes straying up to the main colony building as she shifted the crate to her hip and placed two of the pumpkins in Maddy's waiting grasp. "Thanks!"
"The Commander isn't fond of Halloween." Mark said as Lieutenant Washington started to leave. "If it wasn't Alicia's favourite holiday we wouldn't have it at all."
"I heard that Reynolds." Alicia called over her shoulder. "Report to base in twenty, I've got a job for you."
Maddy giggled as Mark winced. "She's going to have me hanging decorations. Dammit, I thought I might have escaped that this year." He sighed, scuffing the toe of his boot into the ground. "I better get going, I still have things to do before I spend the rest of the day up ladders."
As he started to walk off, Maddy called his name. "Come by later?" She asked. "To, uh, to help me? You seem to know more about it than I do and I wouldn't mind learning your technique." Her eyes widened again as she realised what she'd said. "Your carving technique. For the pumpkins. Of course, what other technique would you have that I could learn, right?"
Mark simply grinned at her, knowing that if her hands weren't already full she'd be gesticulating wildly as she tried to explain herself. "Of course, I'd love to."
"Great. See you later." She replied, watching him walk away from her for an indulgent moment before she started off back towards home. She had planning to do and there was some plexipaper with her name on it.
#
Elisabeth Shannon returned home from work that evening to find her kitchen covered in yellow… something. She approached the work surface curiously and reached out to touch the stringy material to discover it felt vaguely familiar, a sensation she had buried deep in her memory.
"Maddy?" She called and her eldest daughter's head appeared around her bedroom door.
"Yes? Hi!" She beamed.
"Have you been… carving pumpkins?"
"Sure have." Maddy said. "Lieutenant Washington gave them to me for Halloween."
Elisabeth smiled faintly. Halloween. Now there were some memories. She'd overheard a couple of her nurses discussing the subject a few days ago but had been too preoccupied with the victim of a freak rover accident to pay much attention. "Were you planning on clearing up after yourself?"
"Oh! Yes, of course. I was going to do that when Mark left but then Skye turned up and she said she'd help me with a costume."
At the mention of her name Skye appeared in the doorway behind Maddy. "I'm thinking zombie. Hi, Dr Shannon. "
"Hi." Elisabeth replied distractedly. "Zombie?"
"Well, I've got some old clothes lying around that we could rip up, and Tasha's an expert at make-up. She's faked injuries to get out of survival training before using nothing more than some flour and fruit pulp… but you didn't hear that from me. "
"And I was thinking you could get me some spare bandages from the hospital?" Maddy cut in, her face hopeful.
Elisabeth rolled her eyes fondly. "I'll see what I can do." When her daughter bounced and turned to Skye with a triumphant grin, she held up a warning finger. "No promises!"
"No, of course not. You're the best!" Maddy grinned. "I'll be out to clean up in a minute."
"Don't worry, I'll do it. You have fun." Elisabeth said. "Where's your father?"
"Oh, he went out with Josh and Zo, said he had something cool to show them."
"And you didn't want to go?"
Maddy frowned. "I guess… but this seemed more important at the time."
"Who are you and what have you done with my daughter?" Elisabeth teased.
"It's probably because Mark was here." Skye trilled, joining in.
Elisabeth chuckled as her daughter glared at her friend. "Oh, I see..."
"Ugh! Stop ganging up on me!" Maddy cried, throwing her hands up in the air as she stomped back into her room.
Elisabeth shared a smile with Skye and turned to regard her poor kitchen with a critical eye. Honestly, they'd barely been here two months. She'd hoped to keep the house as tidy as possible for a little while longer yet. With a resigned sigh, she grabbed a cloth from the sink and set about cleaning up.
#
The big day itself fell on a weekend, a bizarrely good piece of luck that meant Maddy had all day to fret over her costume, despite Skye and Tasha promising to come over to help her get ready. However, by the time darkness had fallen she was as ready as she was ever likely to be. She stood alone in her room appraising her reflection until her mother called for her to go trick or treating around their small neighbourhood with Zoe before it got too late.
It turned out to be the healthiest trick or treating session in all of time. A strange type of chocolate was the only real confectionary that was produced in Terra Nova, everything else was only provided with each pilgrimage - but it was too popular to be saved for an occasion that only half the colony would celebrate. So, with a bag heavy with fruit, Maddy took her sister home, already itching to get to the main party in the specially cleared-out marketplace.
Before she left her mother made her promise not to drink anything containing alcohol that hadn't first been cleared by the Commander - a ruse Maddy saw straight through despite appreciating its elegant simplicity. How likely was it that she'd willingly go and see Commander Taylor and ask him how alcoholic her chosen drink was? No, she'd stick to the juice that she knew hadn't been spiked, it was just easier that way. Just because she coulddrink in Terra Nova didn't mean she wanted to.
She'd just fetched her first drink when she spotted her brother passing by with Skye, who was dressed up in an outfit that Maddy just about recognised from one of the 20th century musical films that was frequently repeated on the channels she would never admit to wasting her time watching. Josh meanwhile had shamelessly copied Skye's idea for Maddy, but as usual couldn't be bothered to put the same amount of effort in. He had a few fake wounds which he'd probably sweet-talked Skye into doing for him, and the off-cuts of Maddy's bandages but otherwise looked much the same as usual.
Maddy rolled her eyes and sipped her drink, turning away from the pair. Her eyes instantly found Mark, approaching her from the other side of the marketplace and she had to put all her concentration into swallowing the juice instead of choking on it at the sight of him. He was fully done up as a pirate captain, frock coat, flowing shirt, tricorn hat and all. He hadn't shaved in the two days since she'd seen him last and he had the beginnings of a scruffy beard.
He also looked rather too pleased with himself as he reached her, took her hand and bowed, pressing a kiss to the back of it. "Good evening, Miss Shannon."
"Hey! Hi, wow, you look amazing!" Maddy said, trying not to openly stare as her heart threatened to beat out of her chest. "How did you manage all of this?"
Mark shrugged, looking down at his clothes. "I've had a few years to get these things together. Plus those of us who celebrate end up sharing out the basics year after year for reuse or customisation."
"You've done a great job with the decorations too." Maddy said, looking high above herself to the hanging lanterns and garlands. She'd even spotted her own pumpkin over by the refreshment table.
"Thank you. I suppose even using forced labour it does look pretty good."
"Either you're getting very loose-lipped or my timing is just that perfect." Alicia said, approaching the pair.
"Oh, the latter I'm sure." Maddy said nervously, taking in the woman's costume with admiration. "Right Mark?"
Alicia turned a raised eyebrow on him, smirk tugging at her lips at Maddy's instant defence. "Is that so?"
"Naturally, ma'am." He nodded, feet snapping together to stand at attention. "I wouldn't dare suggest your timing is anything other than impeccable."
"At ease soldier." Alicia laughed. "I'm just having a little fun. You should try it some time."
She left Mark and Maddy standing awkwardly together, neither entirely sure what to say next.
"Well… she looks awesome." Maddy said eventually, making Mark laugh.
"I told you it was her favourite holiday."
"I didn't think I'd ever see her in a skirt… or horns for that matter." Maddy mused. "And how did she get such a vivid red fabric? I didn't even think that would be a possibility, let alone likely to see. It must have cost a fortune! Or maybe she got it sent through with our pilgrimage?" She noticed Mark watching her with amusement and sighed. "I'm babbling."
"You are. But it's cute." He admitted. "And as for Alicia, I really don't know what strings she manages to pull but every year she outdoes herself. Halloween is the only time she really lets her hair down, metaphorically speaking. I think she takes comfort in the fact that everyone else looks just as outlandish so she won't stand out. Plus they usually get so drunk that they don't remember the next day anyway."
"It sucks that the level of respect she commands could be undone by a silly holiday." Maddy said, looking around her fellow colonists with a critical eye.
"I wouldn't worry about it. She doesn't." Mark said, nudging her shoulder and gesturing up at the balcony of the main building.
Maddy saw Commander Taylor leaning on the railing, watching over the goings on with what she thought to be a fairly satisfied air. She then watched as Lieutenant Washington approached slowly from behind, creeping up on him and slipping a pair of devil horns on his head.
"How did he not hear her?" Maddy asked almost to herself as the Commander laughed and adjusted the band on his head.
"Oh, he did." Mark replied. "He let her do it."
Maddy looked at him, pointing at the pair. "But why would he preten-. Oh! I get it, sorry. I'm a bit slow tonight." She said, forming a fist and pressing it under her chin as a pleased smile formed. "That is so sweet!"
"It's the same every year, always with a different prop. He wandered around with an eyepatch last year."
"Does it always match like that?"
Mark tipped his hat at her. "I borrowed this from her."
"And she wore it last year right?" Maddy grinned. "Seriously, they are too adorable."
"And very observant, so I suggest we move before they notice us watching." Mark said, and Maddy slipped her arm through his offered one without even a second thought.
#
The evening eventually came to a close, much to Mark and Maddy's regret, with the music fading away leaving quiet conversation between the colonists as they made their way home. Despite all Maddy's best spying efforts, she hadn't even been able to witness any gossip-worthy moments between the Commander and Lieutenant Washington, yet she found it hard to worry too much over this with her hand tucked in the crook of Mark's elbow as he escorted her home.
"How does Miss Madelyn Shannon's First Terra Novan Halloween rate?" He asked, his voice quiet to avoid disturbing her neighbours.
"Oh, A+ definitely." Maddy said, grinning up at him.
They ventured into a slightly less well-lit part of the colony and Maddy instantly let her head fall backwards, staring up at the stars and pin-pointing her favourite constellations. This was something she didn't expect to ever tire of; to actually be able to view the objects she'd found so fascinating in theory was a dream come true.
"It's so beautiful." She whispered.
"Hmm, it really is." Mark agreed and Maddy scoffed when she noticed he was looking at her rather than the stars.
"Charmer." She teased, tipping her head upright as they reached her front porch.
Mark simply shrugged in response and before she really knew what was happening, leaned forward to press a kiss to her cheek. "Thank you for a wonderful evening."
Maddy chuckled as she looked at him and spotted a smear of flour on his cheek. She reached up to brush it away, hand lingering perhaps a moment too long as her fingers ran over his stubble. It was a strangely pleasant sensation to feel the scratch under her fingertips and only a deep rumbling animal call from outside the gates broke the spell falling over them.
"Thank you too, I had a lovely time." She said, her voice slightly husky.
Mark took a couple of hurried steps backwards, as if not trusting himself to be too close to her any longer. "Goodnight Maddy."
"Goodnight Mark." She replied, moving to lean against the porch as he walked away. On impulse she called after him. "Watch out for the ghouls. I hear they like being out tonight."
He laughed at her words, genuinely and not mockingly and if it was possible Maddy fell for him even more. She wasn't used to being considered anything other than a source of cruel amusement for others, so to have someone find her funny was another thrillingly new experience. One of many, she hoped, as she let herself into the house and headed for the bathroom to make herself look human again. And if she got to share them with Mark too, well, that was just icing on the top of an already very special cake.