Title: Wheels and Dreamy Status

Ship: Maddy/Mark

Genre: Romance/Fluff

Word Count: 1316

Rated: PG

Spoilers: 'Within'

Summary: The Maddy and Mark junkyard scene that should have been in 'Within'

A/N: This is so *schmoop* it gave me a tooth ache at the sugary result. No idea where the secondary romance came from. Thanks to Crystalkei for the speedy beta (no idea how she fixes my mess so quick)

… … …

Maddy Shannon moves quickly down the gravel road, the sector of Terra Nova she was walking through was new to her, it was a part reserved for the colony's military and it showed. While the civilian parts of the colony were a rainbow of color, with bright blue and yellow housing and even brighter-colored flowers in decorated pots, the military section was more subdued in earth tones. If buildings could have a personality, theirs would be serious. She shakes her head at the random and silly thoughts, she hadn't been joking, 24 hours without reading and she really was going slightly insane. She continues her walk giving herself another firm headshake that attracts the attention of a group of soldiers running passed her, obviously performing some kind of drill as LT. Guzman runs beside them telling them to hustle.

The man also gives her a curious look as he passes but says nothing; she knew it was strange for them to see a civilian on this side of the settlement. Still she keeps focused on her mission searching for what she was looking for, now if only she could find it.

"Need some help, Ms. Shannon?" a female voice calls out to her.

Turning around she spots Corporal Reilly and Private Dunham sitting side by side under a tree, their weapons on the ground, obvious they were on break.

"Hello, Corporal Reilly," she greets the young woman with a quick smile, nodding at the young man next to her. "Dunham."

"Ms. Shannon," Dunham answers politely.

"Hi," Maddy says again. "Yeah, I'm looking for Mark, he said to meet him at the military junkyard but I don't know where that is, I've never been on this side of the colony before so I'm a little lost."

"Most civvies don't wander this way," Reilly replies with a smile of her own, standing up. "We'll show you where it is."

Dunham follows the corporal's lead, picking his and her weapon giving the woman a shy look. Maddy bites her bottom lip to keep from grinning when the woman gives him a strange look in return causing Dunham's cheeks to turn rosier than usual. It seemed Mark wasn't the only shy man in the service.

"So, what's in the junkyard?" Reilly asks after she gives the young man one last suspicious glance.

"A wheel," Maddy answers, giving the man behind her a sympathetic look when the corporal isn't looking.

"A wheel?" Dunham clears his throat as he flashes an embarrassed smile. "What for?"

"To trade with Casey Durwin," Maddy explains as they round a corner coming to a metal fencing. "The core to my plex blew and I need a new one, it's vital to my existence that I get my plex working again."

"It's that serious?" Dunham jokes pulling the gate open.

"Oh yes, it's that serious, Maddy hasn't studied or read in the last 24-hours," Mark answers for her coming out from behind a pile of scrap metal. "Are you still lucid or have you descended into complete madness?"

Maddy tries to scowl at him but the wide playful grin on his face, his cerulean eyes shining with amused affection puts a small smile on her face.

"I'm still coherent, but the shakes are starting to set in," she holds out her hand to show him.

His grin grows as he chuckles. "Wow, this might be a medical condition, you sure we don't need to take you to the hospital?"

She narrows her eyes playfully at his teasing. "You joke, but learning withdrawal is serious thing."

"Junkie."

"Mark," she whines earning an amused smile out of the two soldiers with them. "You know I have my journal in my plex, I usually write how dreamy you are, I'm thinking of retracting that now."

"I think that's our cue to leave," Reilly cuts in with a laugh. "Good luck Reynolds, Ms. Shannon."

"Thank you Corporal," she answers as the woman turns to leave and gives the Private a smile too as he follows her.

"Dunham has a crush on Reilly," she says once they are out of sight.

Mark gives her a curious look and she simply shrugs.

"So my wheel?" she asks hopeful.

"I don't know," Mark answers with a raised eyebrow. "I don't want to lose my dreamy status."

She blushes as he grins, his eyes dancing with pleasure. "Mean"

He laughs, taking her hand he leads her around some scrap to the side of small shed, there in a pile on the ground is goldmine of wheels, all different sizes. "Which one do you need?"

She lets out a happy squeal jumping into his arms; she wraps hers around his neck and peppers his cheek with kisses as he laughs his arms around her waist. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"You're welcome," he answers kindly when she calms down, his hand brushing the hair that has escaped her 'crazy person' braid behind her ear.

"No, really," she continues in a soft voice. "You're busy and there's a lot going on right now but you still took the time to help me because you knew this was important to me, thank you."

"I'm never too busy to make you happy, Maddy, it's my number one job," he whispers as he presses a kiss against her forehead making her sigh. "So which one?"

Maddy looks at the different wheels, pointing when she sees one that seems the right size for Casey's wheelchair.

Mark picks it up, dusting it off he hands it over. "Here you go."

"Thank you," she says again putting the wheel away in her bag, reaching up she places her hand on the back of his neck and pulls him down for a soft kiss. She lets out a soft sound as he pulls her closer, his hands placed on either side of her face. Her fingers grip his short hair, she moans as his tongue traces her lips and sinks into her mouth, warm and wet it dances against hers. She finds herself leaning against his hard body for support as her head spins hazily from his kisses.

"You should go," he pants as he breaks the contact only to pull her even closer, one of his hands clenched at her waist now, his lips moving to her cheek. "You have your deal to make."

Maddy moans as his tongue flicks against her earlobe, behind him she spots a work bench, giving a fleeting look around she realizes that the shed offers them protection from prying eyes. With a quick decision and a playful smile she drops her bag on the floor and pushes on Mark's chest, pushing him until the back of his knees hit the bench, he sits down when she presses down on his shoulders, a surprised look crossing his face followed by a smirk when she sits on his lap. His hands find their way to her hip and thigh holding her to him.

"I've got time," she whispers inches from his mouth, licking her lips. She grins when he closes his eyes at the action letting out a groan. "I have to thank you properly and you have to earn your dreamy status."

"I didn't earn it with the wheel?" he asks between kisses.

"Close," Maddy concedes her body shivering as his hand runs up and down her spine.

"Hmm, close isn't good enough," he gives her a serious look. "I'm a soldier ma'am, we take our ranks seriously."

"Hmm," Maddy hums a wide smile on her face, her heart fluttering. "Think you can earn it?"

He kisses her again, slow and long. When they part again they are breathing hard, their eyes heavy and their lips swollen. "What do you think?" he whispers against her mouth giving her a heated look, his lips curling upward at her flushed face.

"Yeah," she says breathlessly. "You can earn it."