A/N: Mark Reynolds asks Jim Shannon for permission to marry Maddy. How will Jim react? He knows that he doesn't want to say yes, but he'll end up having to. What will Reynolds say that will change Maddy's over protective daddy's mind? Read and find out!
"Reynolds", Jim Shannon greeted his daughter's boyfriend Mark Reynolds. The young man approached him with a calm look on his face."What're you doing here? Maddy isn't home right now".
The soldier nodded and hesitantly said," I know that she isn't home right now. That's why I came here to talk to you, sir".
"About what?"
"It's very important and first, I need your permission to continue further".
" Permission for what?" asked Jim curiously.
Mark took a deep breath. He firmly looked Jim in the eye, "I want your oldest daughter's hand in marriage", he stated boldly.
"WHAT?" shouted Jim. "No. No way! She's too young. You can't…. She can't get married. She's just a little girl!" He closed his eyes for a moment and when he re-opened them, he glared at Mark's thoughtful face. Why, he thought to himself. The day started out just like any ordinary day but Reynolds just had to come ruin my good mood by asking me this outrageous question!
"I had a feeling you might react like this", said Mark with a sigh.
"Oh, you did, didn't you?", said Jim angrily." If you already knew my answer, then why would you bother asking me at all?"
"I love Maddy. I want to do this the proper way, Mr Shannon. She's your daughter and I respect the fact that you're always willing to protect her but you've got to think things through".
"She isn't old enough", muttered Jim.
"Maddy and I have been together for a very long time now. And she IS old enough!"
Jim knew that he wanted to go and get his gun and shoot Reynolds but sadly, he could not do that. He knew for a fact that Maddy would indeed be very upset if he acted that way. He restrained himself from attacking his daughter's suitor. He knew that this moment was going to come someday and he would have to face it somehow. But he never expected it to come so early.
"Hold on. Did you say that you love her?", he carefully asked the young man. "Prove it to me that you're the best choice for my daughter."
Mark almost smiled but stopped himself from doing so. He remained silent for a moment while Jim expectantly waited for him to give an answer. He said, "I'd do anything for Maddy. When she smiles, I feel as if I'm the happiest man that ever lived. I love her so much that I would die before I'd let something happen to her. I promise to protect her from anything or anyone that tries to harm and I'll always be there for her whenever she needs me. She's the perfect girl for me. I know that some people might call me old fashioned but that's just the kind of person I am. I've wanted to marry her since the day we became a couple".
He paused in between but then quietly said,"I want your approval, Sir. I can't imagine what it must be like for you to be in this situation. Every father dreads the day when a man comes to ask for his daughter's hand."
Jim did not know what to say. For the first time in his life, he did not know what to say. He finally understood why Elisabeth's father resented him for taking his daughter away from him.
"Alright", he said, throwing his hands up in defeat. "Go ahead. You have my permission. You can marry my little girl."
"Thank you so much, Sir", replied Mark sincerely.
"But", Jim continued, a mischievous smile appearing on his face, "If you ever hurt Maddy in anyway, boy, you'll be regretting the day you were born. Believe me, I'll be scarier than your worst nightmare. I'll be a father-in-law from hell. Take this as my warning. If you break her heart, I'll break your pretty little face!"
Mark gulped and shuddered slightly.
"I understand, Sir", he said respectfully.
"Good. I'm glad that you do."
Mark turned to leave the Shannon household when Jim casually called out to him," Oh by the way, Reynolds, Josh is also very protective of his sisters. Trust me when I say that we, Shannon men don't care of the consequences we might endure as a result of protecting our loved ones!"
Mark shook his head and said 'Good Bye'. Jim ran a hand through his hair and waited for the rest of his family to come home. Elisabeth and Josh were at work, while Maddy and Zoe were with Skye. He decided to remain silent on the topic and tell no one about the conversation that went between him and Reynolds. He would wait till the day Maddy would come home one of these days, shrieking with delight and displaying a ring on her left hand. Yes, he would wait. At least he had a long way to go until some boy would come to him again; asking permission to marry Zoe and that thought offered him immense comfort.
As Mark walked back to his house, he felt as if he literally wanted to jump in the air and shout out with happiness. He had been granted permission to marry the one and only true love of his life, Maddy Shannon. He smiled to himself as he opened the door and headed inside. Now all he had to worry about was the actual proposal. He went directly to his room and collapsed with tiredness on the bed. It had been a long day for him as he had been on duty all morning and afternoon. He put his hands behind his head as he thought of Maddy's reaction to the ring he would give her and fell asleep peacefully, dreaming of the day he would marry his girlfriend.
A/N:What do you think of this story? Is it good? Is it bad? Is it OK? Leave your thoughts in a REVIEW!
By the way, my next Maddy/ Mark story will be the actual proposal! I've got it written in a notebook and will be typing it up for all of you to read. I hope you enjoyed reading this!