A/N: So now that I've read every single Maddy/Mark fic I have resorted to writing my own to get my fix. I'm pretty much obsessed. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own it. I'm just infatuated with it.
"Maddy!"
She heard the scream, terrified and pained sounding, so clearly the voice of her baby sister.
"Maddy!"
And again, but this time Mark's voice, not Zoe's.
"Maddy!"
And again, and again, and again. Dad's voice, then Mom's. Josh's and Kara's and Skye's and Lieutenant Washington's. Even Commander Taylor's voice, screaming for her help. The dead and alive called to her. Everyone she loved, everyone she cared about.
But as soon as she ran to help them a Phoenix soldier blocked her way. From every direction their screams were coming…surrounding her…smothering her. But she couldn't help them…she couldn't get to them…
Maddy awoke with a start. For a moment she laid in her sleeping bag, trembling, looking up at the thick jungle canopy above her. Looking to her left she saw Josh, sound asleep and snoring lightly. For a moment she closed her eyes, hoping to fall back asleep. But, it was no use…her nightmare had shaken her and she needed to be comforted. She needed to feel safe.
Taking a deep breath, she slowly crawled out of her sleeping bag and slipped her boots on. The chilly night air made her shiver as she quietly began her journey to the other side of the camp, knowing she would find Mark there. After hearing him in her nightmare she had to see him…had to know he was alright.
After a few minutes of tiptoeing over dead leaves and logs she came across the part of camp where the soldiers were sleeping. Her eyes quickly scanned over the sleeping soldiers, looking for the one person she needed to see. After a few moments of anxious searching, she saw him. He was away from the group, off to the side next to a tall tree.
Maddy made her way over to where her boyfriend slept, trying to be as stealthy as possible. Still, she should have known he would somehow detect her approach. When she was about ten feet away he suddenly sat up, grabbing his gun and pointing it at her. Maddy froze, startled by how fast he had moved.
Still half asleep, Mark blinked several times before he realized his girlfriend was standing in front of him. A moment later he realized he was pointing a gun at her and quickly lowered his weapon. As he began to wake up more fully, he was suddenly struck with blinding panic. Why was Maddy here? Was she okay? Was she hurt?
With these questions rolling around in his head he quickly looked her over, trying to discern why she was here so late at night. She was shaking, but he could see a thin sheen of sweat covering her skin. She looked paler than normal. He breathed a sigh of relief when he found no visible injuries. Looking into her eyes, his panic returned full-force when he saw how terrified she looked.
"Maddy?" he murmured, concern evident in his voice, "Maddy, sweetheart, what's wrong?"
Seeing Mark safe and sound sent a wave of relief through her. Overwhelmed by her emotions Maddy could only let out a sob as she rushed forward, needing to touch him.
Mark instinctively opened his arms as Maddy fell into his lap and held onto her as tightly as could without hurting her. He gently rocked her as Maddy sobbed into his neck, holding onto him for dear life.
Eventually, Maddy calmed enough to look up at Mark with puffy eyes and give him a trembling smile.
"Sorry," she whispered, her breathing still irregular. "I didn't mean to have a breakdown…I just wanted to make sure you were safe."
"Safe?" Mark asked, confusion twisting his features. "Why wouldn't I be safe? What happened?"
"I had a nightmare," Maddy said. "A horrible nightmare. I was in the colony and I was surrounded by Phoenix people and I could here you screaming…you and Zoe and Mom and Dad and Josh…everyone was screaming for help but I couldn't help them…I couldn't help you…"
Mark smiled at Maddy tenderly. "I'm fine. You're fine. Your family is fine. Don't worry. Everything's going to be okay."
Maddy sniffled and nodded. "I know. It's just so scary. I've read about wars so many times, but I never imagined I would be part of one. Everything is so uncertain. Everything is so dangerous."
Mark brushed hair off her face and said, "I'll keep you safe Maddy. I promised you I would never let anything happen to you and I meant it. No one will ever hurt you without going through me first."
Maddy took a deep breath. "Can I stay with you tonight? I don't want to have any more nightmares. If I sleep in your arms I know I'll be safe in my dreams."
Mark nodded and pulled back his sleeping bag so Maddy could climb in with him. Maddy snuggled up to Mark, her back to his chest, and finally stopped shaking as she was enveloped in his warmth. One of his arms wrapped around her as the other went under her head, cushioning it from the hard ground.
Maddy closed her eyes, already feeling drowsy. "Thank you Mark. I love you."
Mark also closed his eyes and began to drift off. "I love you too, Maddy Shannon. Sleep now. Don't be afraid, I'm here…I'll always be here."
The jungle noises continued around them, but the young couple slept…safe in each other's arms.
Jim Shannon woke up for no apparent reason, as he did about ten times a night. This war had him worrying about his family and he constantly needed to see they were safe.
Looking beside him, he saw his wife. Their youngest daughter was curled up in her arms, both sleeping peacefully. He looked to his right and saw his son, snoring slightly. Craning his neck, he looked over Josh and saw…his oldest daughter's empty sleeping bag.
Panic immediately gripped him, before he calmed himself enough to realize that he should investigate before he did anything rash. Maddy wasn't stupid, there was probably a perfectly logical explanation for why his sixteen year old daughter was out of bed in the middle of the night.
Without waking the rest of his family, Jim got out of his sleeping bag and put on shoes before making his way around the camp, looking for Maddy. He had a pretty good idea of where she might be, but he hoped for that Reynolds kid's sake that he was wrong.
When he came upon the sleeping soldiers he was immediately drawn to the secluded sleeping bag by the tree. Taking care to be as silent as possible, Jim crept over until he could see that his suspicion had been right. There was his Maddy, sound asleep in the soldier's arms.
For a moment he was so mind-numbingly angry that all he can think about is shooting the kid. He stepped forward, ready to grab Maddy and unleash his fury on her boyfriend. With his hand outstretched he sighed, and pulled it back, wilting visibly. He wanted to separate them and ground Maddy for the next ten years and kill that stupid kid. But this was a war. And they were in love. As much as it hurt him to see his little girl going to another man for comfort, he knew that she deserved this. That for this one night she needed to feel safe and secure and loved. None of them were guaranteed tomorrow.
With one last look at the sleeping teenagers, Jim turned on his heel and went back to Elisabeth and his other children. Tomorrow could bring anything, but tonight they had the one's they loved.
A/N: Review! Tell me what you liked! Tell me what you hated! Tell me your favorite Mark/Maddy scenes or stories! Give me ideas for stories you want me to write! I really don't care...I just love reviews :)