Title: Tell Me

Characters: Maddy/Mark, Jim/Elisabeth with Josh, Skye and Zoe (brief)

Rating: Teen

Disclaimers: I do not own anyone/anything from the forum Terra Nova. Fox owns Terra Nova and its characters. There is no copyright infringement intended. I do not make any profit/money or take any credit.

Summary: Mark finally gets Maddy to confess to the story behind throwing the vase

Timeline: Set before Nightfall, spoilers for Bylaw

A/N: Sequel to 'I'm Here' but not part of the Comforting Series

Warning: Violence (she is throwing something after all!)

Tell Me

Maddy Shannon rested her back against the bark of the tree, her legs stretched out in front of her, crossed at the ankle. She lifted her head up, enjoying the feel of the sunshine. It was something she never got to experience when she was back in 2149 but now, she savoured it.

She brought her head down when she felt a weight settle in her lap and she found herself looking into Mark Reynolds' face. He had a smug smile as he stared up at her from where his head was on her lap and she smiled wryly.

"Sure, go ahead," she informed him and he grinned.

"Thanks," he closed his eyes. Her smile turned fond as she let her hand play with his dark lock, enjoying the feel of his hair before she rested her head against the tree once more, looking out at the children playing further away from them.

Mark had taken her out to a picnic as a 'thank you' for being there for him when he had been mourning for his friend, who had been killed. Maddy noticed her father was chasing Zoe, who giggled loudly before Jim would swoop her up in his arms and spinning them around.

Maddy sighed. She couldn't believe how happy she was and it wasn't that long ago she thought she wouldn't be happy for a while. Not with her sister being forced into hiding because she had been an illegal child her parents weren't allowed to have. Not with her father being in jail for punching the police who had come to take Zoe away.

But they had been given a new chance to come to Terra Nova. They had conspired to help Jim break out of jail and to sneak Zoe through the fracture. Maddy had grabbed the chance with both hands desperately wanting to get away from the life that promised sadness and to get both her father and sister back.

Josh and Skye were further away playing some of the other kids. Josh was showing them how to play soccer with Skye laughing as the kids clashed into each other as they fumbled to get the ball.

Really, it was supposed to be a date between her and Mark but Jim had found out and foiled that plan by declaring that all of them could do with a day off which involved Zoe asking her friends if they wanted to come along.

Maddy could remember feeling amused and exasperated at the same time. Amused that her father was going to such length to prevent her and Mark from being alone but at the same time, exasperated for the same reason.

"What are you smiling at?" Mark's voice broke into her thoughts and she looked down at him, startled. Mark arched an eyebrow, waiting for her to talk.

"Remembering your expression when Zoe announced that she and her friends were coming on the picnic with us," she told him with an amused smile while Mark rolled his eyes. He had shown up with the expectation of taking Maddy to the fields only to find himself surrounded by Zoe and her friends as they all proclaimed their excitement of joining him and Maddy for the day.

Of course, it had only gotten worse when Jim declared that he, his wife, Josh and Skye were also coming along for the ride.

"I didn't exactly pack enough for everyone. I'm just glad your mother did otherwise I fear there would have been a war." Maddy laughed, grinning.

"I think you are right there, Mister Reynolds," she informed him. He just grinned, taking her free hand into his.

"You know, you said you would tell me why you threw a vase," he reminded her, kissing the back of her hand. She felt her heart flutter at the feel of his lips against her skin before she frowned as the memory came back to her.

"Mark…" she shook her head.

"Come on," he gently coaxed. "You know why I punched a wall, it's your turn."

"It's not a nice story," she warned him and he shrugged.

"Still a part of you," he told her simply. She felt her heart melt before rolling her eyes.

"Before I tell you, you cannot tell anyone else," he frowned. "Dad and I never told anyone because he dealt with it. Mom and Josh cannot know about it." He nodded.

"I promise," he assured her and she narrowed her eyes.

"And you cannot go off trying to punch a tree or something. I'm not patching you up again if you do," she warned him. Mark grinned.

"I promise I won't punch anything," he drew a cross over his heart. She watched him suspiciously for a moment before sighing.

"I was thirteen," she rested her head against the tree once more, not wanting to look into his eyes. She needed to stay focus. "There was this boy at school," she felt him tensed and resumed stroking his hair to calm him.

"Before we go any further," she looked down at him. "He didn't try to do anything to you, right?" She shook her head with a small smile.

"No, nothing like that happened," she assured him and she felt him relax, nodding.

"Ok, that's good." She just smiled before bringing her head back up.

"He liked to taunt me…actually, a lot of student did," she rolled her eyes. "Not all of them liked that I liked to study, to know things. But him, he was more…insistent on taunting me. He would make fun whenever I answered a question or got high grades on a test."

Her hand tightened briefly around Mark's so he kissed it again, trying to get her calm down. "Josh knew that there was a guy who was bothering me and he said that he had a crush on me. I refused to believe him because what the guy was doing, it was nothing like a crush. I just didn't get it, how did taunting and making fun of someone was a way of showing your interest in them." She frowned, taking in a shaky breath. "Then one day, he managed to break into my locker and he left me a letter. When I got and read it, I was shaken. I was pretty much terrified for the rest of the day, always looking over my shoulder."

Her hand, in his hair, clenched reflexively before she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Mark watched her in concern before she bit her bottom lip, her eyes opening and looking up toward the sky. "When I got home, I must have paced for hours. Mom was at work and Josh had Zoe at a trusted friend's house. I worked myself up into a state, going back and forth between anger and fear. Dad came home." She shook her head, frowning. "He said something, even now, I don't know what he said. I was pretty much running on anger that I grabbed a vase and I threw it."

She laughed breathlessly and he could see the shame crossing her face as her eyes met his. "It almost hit him," she admitted softly. Mark sat up, a hand going to her cheek in concern as a tear slipped free. He wiped it away with his thumb. "He jumped out of the way at the last minute but when I heard the vase shatter against the wall, I felt better. I just threw anything that I could get my hands on, cups, pillows, books, toys," she listed, shaking her head as Mark's hand dropped down, taking hers in his.

"What happened?" he whispered.

"Dad snuck up on me. I think he had been shouting my name. Once he realised that I wasn't listening, he came up behind me and wrapped his arms around mine, stopping me from throwing anything else. I broke down," she gave him a watery smile. "I actually broke down and just cried. Dad was freaking out but he tried his hardest to stay calm, he just rocked me and stroked my hair until I calmed down."

She took a deep breath before shaking her head. "I told him everything and I could tell he wanted to go and find the guy but he stayed and he got me ice cream," her smile was infectious as she thought back. "He told me that yes, while guys were stupid, there would be ones who don't think that taunting and making fun of a girl is a good way to get her attention. And that the next time I was angry, just let it out because if you kept it in, it could eat away at you."

"Good advice," Mark agreed and Maddy giggled.

"We fell asleep on the couch. Mom came in and Dad just told her that I had a nightmare. He cleaned up everything before she got home and if she ever knew, she never said," she finished before exhaling, her eyes going to the sky. "It's funny; I've never told anyone this before. It's actually kinda…freeing." Mark smirked smugly and got a whack to his shoulder as a result.

He just chuckled, shaking his head before he remembered the one part of the story she had left out.

"What did he write?" Mark asked. Maddy shook her head.

"You don't want to know," she assured him but he just set his jaw and she sighed. "Let's just put it this way, Josh was right, just not the crush. He just wanted to…you know," she made a strange gesture with her head before rolling her eyes as Mark's eyes narrowed. "He wasn't as nice as you when it came to asking me out."

"Maddy," he gritted out and she ducked her head.

"Fine," she muttered. "It was pretty much comments about how he could find a way to keep my mouth busy instead of talking and things like that."

"He what?" he hissed, his hands tightening into fists. She quickly grabbed them, preventing him from getting up. "Who is he?"

"As much as you want to be my knight in shining armour right now, you can't," she told him and he looked at her. "He's never been selected for Terra Nova. He's still in 2149."

"Oh," Mark sighed, defeated and she smiled fondly, shaking her head. "What did your father do?" Maddy rolled her eyes.

"He called up the head teacher and asked him to hold a sexual harassment class. He was the teacher and when it was over, pretty much every boy knew he was my father. It scared them that much, none of them tried to speak to me again."

"Good," Mark bit out gruffly. Maddy just rolled her eyes.

"You know, I should be offended that you are being all possessive and protective right now," she informed him and Mark blanched before she just laughed, shaking her head. "I actually find it quite sweet," she admitted shyly. Mark smile back, enjoying the way the blush tinted her cheeks.

Elisabeth Shannon looked over to where her daughter and gentleman caller was near the tree only to frown when she noticed Mark was looking at little tense. Jim collapsed onto the blanket, breathing heavily but had a huge smile on his face as he watched their youngest daughter play tag with her friends.

"What do you think they are talking about?" Elisabeth asked as she reached over the blanket to pick another red fruit that she and Maddy had become quite addicted to since arriving in Terra Nova. Jim looked over his shoulder to see the tension in Mark's shoulder but the soft smile on Maddy's face and he smiled softly.

"I have a feeling she's just telling him a childhood story," Jim told his wife as he looked back at her, leaning in to brush his lips against hers.

"Hm, don't think I don't know why you decided that we should take the day off," his wife told him, narrowing her eyes at him. Jim just gave her an innocent smile which didn't fool her. "I'm on to you."

"What? I just thought it would be nice to spend the day with my wife," he kissed her softly, grinning as she giggled against his lips, "And our children, who always seem to be so busy." Elisabeth laughed out loud.

"And it had nothing to do with Mark wanting to spend some time alone with Maddy?" she asked with a teasing grin. Jim's nose wrinkled, caught out. "But it was a nice thought. You're right, we've been busy lately."

"Nice to be right for once," he muttered, grinning as his wife laughed. It had been a while since he had seen her relaxed and carefree before both of them looked to see Zoe pouncing on Josh, giving him a fright before he grabbed the girl around the waist and spun her.

Skye and the other girls laughed as Zoe was let down and she ran off with Josh chasing them, trying to tag one of them.

Elisabeth laughed as Jim looked over his shoulder once more to see Mark was grinning and Maddy was laughing. He knew what she had told him, he had seen that look of anger on Mark's face before. On his' whenever he looked in the mirror and remembered what that kid had written.

He may have implemented the rule that there shouldn't be any secrets within the family but that was one thing his wife and son didn't need to know about. Besides, he was pretty proud of himself for being restrained enough just to give the sexual harassment lesson.

Eyeing Mark once more and he smirked. The guy better hope that he would never bump into Mark Reynolds if he was ever selected to come to Terra Nova, Jim had a feeling that Mark wouldn't be as restrained as he has been…and he would even help the young man.

The End

Nope, no sequel and don't even think about trying to inspire me! *glares suspiciously*