Chapter Four
Lemonade

Mark was pleased to say that he was having a very productive morning. It was his day off, and he had finally been declared healthy enough this morning by Alicia to have access to the gym. Even though his previous bad mood had essentially evaporated like drops water in the sun, he did have some pent up energy that he enjoyed ridding himself of for a few hours.

After his nearly violent altercation with Timothy Curran yesterday, it was no real surprise that, instead of offering to spar with him, everyone had avoided even looking at him. He would have liked some hand to hand, though he supposed he could understand their apprehension. He had no real problem going through his own routines; it gave him time to think at least.

While he now had some direction concerning the whole courting front, Mark was still unsure if it was too early to broach the subject. He had succeeded in befriending Maddy, and she definitely seemed receptive to him, though the last thing he wanted to do was rush this. Her unintentional reaction to his near kiss last night had been telling, and now he knew that he had to tread carefully.

Mark had decided to befriend her first in order to get to know her, and he intended to stick with that mentality until he felt certain that she was ready to progress beyond friendship. He figured that Commander Taylor might be a bit more sympathetic to him not initiating the courtship right away, considering it had been his idea to begin with, and the man knew his intentions were honorable.

Therefore he would have to enforce his patience, because Mark wasn't interested in just one date with Maddy, he craved more than just one kiss. He wanted forever. He needed to make sure he did this right, and if that meant being a little patient while she discovered her own feelings, he could wait. She was worth it.

Muscles aching in a satisfying way, Mark showered in the gym before he decided to grab a quick lunch in the market. He was a bit tired, and it had been far too long since he'd been able to do something so physical despite the fact it had only really been a week since he was injured. He probably shouldn't have pushed himself so hard today, but he had to keep in mind that he needed to be in top condition if he wanted to go outside tomorrow.

Despite everything that was going on in his mind lately, he was well aware that tomorrow was the start of survival training. He had already downloaded the outline of what training would entail—the routes everyone would take, the subjects that needed to be covered, a list of students and volunteers—and he was wary despite his own reassurances that everyone would be safe.

It was just difficult not to worry; just because no incidents had happened previously, that didn't mean something wouldn't go wrong this time around. Terra Nova, no matter how safe within the walls, was still located in a hostile environment, and the training grounds were even more dangerous since there was no fence. He had a right to be on edge about it.

If he were honest with himself, his trepidation about this excursion was due to Maddy. He had initially been excited about being coerced into volunteering for escort duty for the new arrivals, because it meant he could be outside the gates for a change where it was thrilling and dangerous. His reservations about leaving now were for the exact same reasons.

"Mark!" someone called out and Mark turned to see Ken approaching him from the command building. He looked a bit less tired than yesterday and this time he was alone. Ken reached out and ruffled his hair with a grin, saying, "Hey, kid,"

Mark frowned at him. "I'm not a kid," he said defensively, smoothing the hair out sullenly. He scowled when the other man just laughed. "Did he send you?"

Ken frowned at him. "Lose the attitude, Mark."

"… Did he?"

"No," he sighed finally, though he still wore a disapproving frown. "I haven't seen him since we got back. I just saw you after the meeting, and wanted to make sure you were okay."

Mark frowned. "What meeting?" he asked.

"Courting," Ken said, and there was something off about his tone that Mark didn't really understand, something somber within that one word. The older man smiled a moment later, shaking his head briefly before he settled Mark with a look of concern. "You look better, today. Less pissed off,"

Mark rubbed the back of his neck with a grimace. "Yeah, well…" he shrugged. "I'm still a teenager, and we have anger issues."

"I saw your angry teenager phase, Mark," Ken rolled his eyes. "I've never seen you like that. What exactly did that punk say to you?" His question was met with silence, because it was not a topic that Mark wanted to share with anyone just yet. He would quite like to keep Maddy away from all of this drama for as long as he could. "Fine, kid, don't tell me."

"Not a kid," Mark huffed.

"Yes you are…" Ken smirked. "Get out of here, brat. Just keep out of trouble, okay?"

"I will," he promised reluctantly, releasing a sigh. "See you later?"

"Count on it, munchkin,"

"If you haven't notice," Mark called at his retreating back. "I'm not short anymore!"

Ken only laughed as he walked away. Okay, so perhaps Mark hadn't been thrilled initially to see the older man, but his presence was definitely more welcoming than his own brothers at the moment even if he didn't appreciate the 'kid' comments and the reference to his height.

Mark finally reached the market, internally debating between the grill that served fried beetles or the one that had xiphactinus on a stick. He was a picky eater after all and neither sounded very appetizing at the moment, but it was either those or fruits and vegetables. His eyes unintentionally drifted toward a nearby fruit stand, and smiled unexpectedly when he saw her.

Maddy was browsing the market, a heavily burdened basket hanging from her arm. He would have thought she would have been exploring, or perhaps even in trouble after her late return home last night, though instead she was shopping.

It occurred to him that it had been long enough since her arrival that she could begin eating real food, and he recalled how eager she was to get off of the protein shakes. Maddy had a faintly determined air about her as she studied a fruit, and he could see her lips moving as she spoke quietly to herself before she lifted the fruit and smelled it with a smile.

Mark tried to recall what type of fruit it was and what it smelt like, but unfortunately he was drawing a blank. She seemed to like it however because she placed it in her basket and paid the vendor. He was just about to make his approach when Maddy suddenly turned her heel, looking at another shop to her left. He followed her line of sight as she began walking toward it.

It was a jewelry stand, he realized as he followed leisurely. He knew the owner had special permission to use scraps of iron for his trinkets, and that he would use the hard scales of shells of the sea life from the beach to carve designs on and polish. He had to admit that some of the items were intriguing, though he had only ever spared a glance before.

"May I?" Maddy asked the owner, gesturing toward a specific necklace that had apparently caught her interest just as Mark idled up beside her. He smiled at her intent concentration; she had not even sensed his presence, too enraptured with the necklace as she brought it closer to her face to examine.

Mark allowed her to unconsciously ignore him for a moment before he had to speak. "Find something you like?" he questioned, inwardly wincing at his own stealth when she suddenly spun around with a startled gasp. She exhaled a moment later, obviously recognizing him as she placed a hand over her heart with a smile.

"You scared me,"

Mark smiled in return. "My sincerest apologies, Miss Shannon," he said apologetically, his smile growing somewhat smug when her skin flushed. She turned quickly, placing the necklace in its place on the rack, but he was curious now to see what she had liked, and snatched it up in his own hands. "You didn't answer my question," he reminded her, surprised to see that the stone pendant was something he actually recognized. "This looks like that flower you were showing me… lilium para—" He hesitated, glancing at her and wondering if was saying the odd name correctly. "—dalnum?"

"Paradalinum," Maddy corrected, and he was pleased to see a proud gleam to her eyes as she beamed at him for obviously coming close enough. "This is a different variety, though the overall structure of the petal is similar."

Mark scrutinized the pendant for a few more seconds. It was small, no larger than the size of his thumb nail, though a lot of work had been done to carve intricate details. He thought it might have been made of a fish scale, due to the shine, though he couldn't be sure. She liked it though; that much was obvious considering just how carefully she had been inspecting it. He lifted it up to her neck, wondering just how expensive it was and already calculating how much money he had saved.

"It would look nice on you," he commented honestly, and Maddy blushed again as she took the necklace from his hands. He frowned at her disapprovingly as she put it back.

"Maybe another time," she said, smiling at the old man who was watching their interaction with a smile, and then she began walking away.

Mark gave the necklace one last considering look before he hurried to catch up to her. He hoped it would still be there when he returned later. "So," he said slowly, glancing at her curiously out of the corner of his eye. It was difficult to hide his smile when she peered up at him in return. "I thought you would be under house arrest," He didn't give her a chance to respond, instead peeking over his shoulder and leaning closer playfully. "Did you reconfigure another laser?"

Maddy stared up at him with shock, her eyes widening as her mouth dropped in reply to his whisper. He smiled slowly as realization swept over her features. He waited for her to blush again, or to smile and laugh at him for bringing it up again, however his mouth went dry when she drew in a breath and lightly smacked his chest.

"Shh," she shushed him with a grin, her voice just as quiet as his had been. "You'll give me away."

Honestly taken by surprise at her response, Mark was unable to contain his laugh. He had been subtly teasing her every chance he got, trying to draw out smiles and laughter as he promised himself he would, but she had never teased him in return before. He was glad to see she was more comfortable around him now. He smiled widely as she blushed a moment later, shrugged her shoulders a bit.

Mark had to be making some progress if she was being more open with him, right? He liked it. It was just another layer to the mystery he was trying to unravel that was Madelyn Shannon.

"No house arrest," she said. "Just grocery duty,"

Mark was pleased that she had not punished too badly for staying out so late. He had been a bit worried that she would be in as much trouble as she had been imagining the night before. He eyed the basket in her arms, his mouth wrinkling in disgust at the vegetables inside. "I'll stick to prepackaged foods, thank you," he said, continuing when she frowned in confusion, "Frozen foods rationed into meals I can reheat in about one minute. You can purchase them at the commissary,"

"That can't be all you eat," Her voice was appalled. "Those can't be very nutritious."

Mark did eat more than the rationed packets, though not of his own free will. He did enjoy the meals Alicia made for him, but she only came around a few days out of a week. "Probably not, but they taste good and they're quick,"

Maddy narrowed her eyes at him, and he was wary to see the same calculating gleam in her eyes that Alicia got when she scoured his cabinets for meal ideas. He had a sneaking suspicion that if those two ever met, they would form some kind of unholy alliance to ensure he was eating healthy. He shuddered inwardly at the mere thought, already imagining a life of salads and shrubs.

Mark watched as she studied the contents of her basket, noticing with concern at just how heavy the basket was. The handle was definitely cutting into her forearm, and she was struggling to hold it. He bit his lip, wondering if she would be offended if he offered to carry it. She shifted it in her arms a moment later, and he frowned at the reddish tinged to her arm as the basket slipped a bit.

"Can I take those?" he asked, already reaching for it.

"No, it's alright."

Mark decided to take it anyway, gently removing it from her grasp before she could say anything contrary, and holding it with one hand as he raised his eyebrows at her. She pursed her lips for a moment, though only to try and hide the smile as she sighed and she rubbed at the arm.

"Where to next?"

It was incredibly fun to tease Maddy. She had first tried to offer him a way out of basically becoming a shopping cart for her groceries, and he had responded with a disappointed sigh and a sullen frown as he commented on how she didn't want him around. She only realized he was teasing her when he was unable to contain his smile anymore through her stammered apologies.

Maddy finally began bantering with him when he took great delight in arguing with her over her choice in foods. She got frustrated easily, her cheeks flushing and her mouth twitching. Her eyes were bright and full of mirth, even as she huffed and reclaimed the vegetables he subtly began removing from her basket to replace with sweets.

Okay, so he knew he was laying the charm on thick. He had absolutely no idea what he was doing, so he just tried to elicit smiles from her, and thankfully she seemed to be enjoying his subtle attempts at flirting. Overall it was the most fun he had ever had shopping for groceries. He wondered if she would let him join her again next time.

Mark was able to get purchase his own lunch, though only after his stomach growled embarrassingly in front of her. She had been disturbed when he ordered xiphkabobs, though that could have been because the vendor had offered her a grilled fish head when he bought his own skewer. He doubted he could ever tempt her into trying it once she was off the protein shakes tomorrow.

It was not long until Mark followed her back to her house. He eyed the doorjamb uncertainly as she held the door open for him, although he wasn't about to let her carry anything else in when she had already accumulated an armful herself. Her house was quiet, and he could see some subtle changes from when he was last inside.

By no means was the house complete, but there were some improvements to make it more livable than there was last week. He was glad to see the doors to the rooms had been installed, at the very least—it would offer everyone some privacy. He idly wondered if Maddy had been able to purchase her bed yet, since the house had only come with the one which had been offered to her sister.

"Where should I put these?" he asked, following her into the kitchen, waiting patiently as she quickly moved to clean some space on the counter for him. Not quite willing to leave just yet, Mark took his time removing the groceries from the basket and the bags, slowly setting them out so she could put them away.

"Thank you for helping me today," Maddy said, her eyes shining as she looked up at him. "I don't think I would have been able to carry this all by myself without making a few trips…"

Mark smiled in return. "My pleasure, Miss Shannon,"

Maddy blushed and ducked her head slightly, rummaging through her purchases as she turned around to put things away. He watched her out of the corner of his eye, absently moving the same round fruit back and forth in his hands in an effort to seem occupied. He finally managed to tear his eyes away, only to pause when he saw what he was holding.

It was something he recognized that the fruit vendors in the market put out to scam newcomers into buying. The fruit was large, round and bright, easily catching attention of people browsing. Admittedly it smelled nice, but it was something that no one ever made the mistake of buying twice due to just how sour it was. The only people who voluntarily bought it knowingly used it to scent soaps.

"Maddy," Mark said uneasily, angry that someone had taken advantage of her. He had half a mind to go tell off the person who dared to sell it to her. "People in the market put this fruit out every time a new pilgrimage arrives," he told her. "Because the color attracts unsuspecting customers and while it has a pleasant scent—"

"I know," Maddy grinned at him. "It's sour enough to make your face pucker."

"… Why did you buy it then?"

"Lemonade," she said with a smile, removing a root from its packing before reaching for a bowl out of the cabinet and removing some kind of shredder from a drawer. He watched uncertainly as she laid it all out. "Well, sort of, since these aren't actual lemons. Can you grab a knife and cut it in half?"

Mark pulled a large knife from the stand she gestured to, and gave the fruit a wary look. He'd had a lemon before, and just like this fruit, it had been bright and smelled nice. He never ventured into his mother's garden again after taking a bite of it though, having learned his lesson not to be enticed again.

"What exactly is lemonade?" he asked cautiously, cutting the fruit. He glanced at her as she leaned closer, her eyes closing as she smiled, inhaling deeply. He had to admit, he found her fascination with it endearing, despite knowing that it smelled better than it looked.

"Lemonade is a beverage made from water, the juice of a lemon, and sugar to sweeten and remove the intense bitterness of the juice," she explained, accepting the halved slice he offered her. He watched curiously as she held one hand over a measuring cup, the other one holding the fruit above it as she began to squeeze. Juice ran through her fingers, the seeds of the fruit lodged in the palm of her hand.

Maddy picked the seeds out, setting them aside on the counter, and he was surprised to see that instead of using the towel beside her to dry her hand, she gave it an inquisitive stare. She lifted it to her face, inhaling once again, and her teeth captured her bottom lip as she paused thoughtfully.

Mark felt his gut tighten unexpectedly as he realized her intentions. Her brown eyes were bright and questioning as she looked up at him, and his entire body was still as he watched in anticipation. She tilted her head a bit with a frown, biting her lip once more, and then slowly slipped a finger into her mouth.

I'm screwed.

Mark gripped the countertop, his entire body practically vibrating with the effort not to close the distance between them to capture her wrist and sample her fingers himself. He would gladly eat every single one of those horrible fruits if she just let him taste her fingers just this once.

This had to be some kind of test of willpower. He was failing miserably, stifling a groan as her eyes closed, her features considering as she suckled on the digit. He never should have let her do that; he should have tried to stop it, because now his mind was full of very inappropriate thoughts and, oh hell, he needed to get out of here before he embarrassed himself.

Mark forced his own closed as well, forcibly breathing through his mouth as he tried to force his thoughts away from her. She was not some faceless fantasy, she was Maddy. Sweet, intelligent, innocent Maddy, who deserved more than his lust because she was precious and delicate and he would ruin everything if he didn't find a way to calm himself down.

Maddy said something, though the words were a meaningless string of consonants that barely even registered in his hormone driven brain. She was teasing him again, something about babies and whoa, no more teasing, no more, please stop because that just sent his mind down a whole new inappropriate path. He forced himself to laugh, leaning his head back to stare at the ceiling as he shoved his hands into his pockets, trying to turn away from her.

Deep breaths, he told himself. Deep, deep breaths…

"So," Mark croaked unsteadily, hoping to distract himself. He cleared his throat, steadily avoiding looking at her as he finally removing his gaze from the ceiling and instead looking at the remaining items on the counter. "What's next?"

"Do you want to grate the sugar root while I fill the pitcher?" she asked, and Mark took the bowl and the shredder, giving the root a bewildered look as he avoided her eyes. Maddy apparently sensed his confusion, because a moment later she had placed the root in his hand as she moved beside him, coaching him through it.

Mark was hard pressed not to tense up as he felt her hand enclose over his own, trying not to think about what her hand had been doing moments prior as she directed him. It was easier than he thought it was; her voice was soft now and no longer teasing, and it put him at ease as she moved his hand back and forth, the bowl filling with a fine powder with each sweep.

Slowly, Mark nodded his head. "Okay," he said slowly, swallowing the thickness lodged in his throat. He felt whatever lingering intensity fade as she stepped away, allowing him the time he needed to collect himself more fully. He paused as he heard her begin humming, smiling to himself before he continued to grate the root. Her humming made him wonder if she could sing.

Maddy had a unique voice, and he would bet she had a beautiful singing voice. He was always fascinated with how breathless she would become when speaking rapidly. He also noticed that sometimes she would say words a certain way, almost with tinged with a hint of the accent her mother possessed. He doubted she even realized it, and it was only on certain words, such as pigment. She said that word a lot in reference to her flowers, and he always grinned when she pronounced it as 'pigmunt'.

As he heard the water turn on, Mark suddenly froze as the front door opened. He had the sudden irrational fear of Mrs. Shannon the moment she became visible, pausing in surprise on the other side of the counter when she saw him. He swallowed, realizing this was the second time Mrs. Shannon had caught him in her house… alone with her daughter.

Shit.

"Oh," the woman said with mild surprise, though she didn't sound angry. She glanced between him and Maddy with a curious eye, and then simply smiled. "Hello there,"

"Hello Mrs. Shannon," Mark said quietly, biting his lip as he wondered if he should offer her his hand. He had already met her before, and his hands were a bit sticky from the powdered root mingling with the sweat in his palms, so he decided against it.

"Elisabeth, please," Mrs. Shannon requested, noticing the ingredients for the lemonade with a curious frown before she looked back up at him. "I recognize you. You were here the other night, yes?" she prompted. "You sat with the girls?"

Mark nodded slowly. "Yes, ma'am,"

Mrs. Shannon smiled again, and he unintentionally relaxed under her warm gaze. "Thank you so much for doing that…?" she trailed off, giving him a questioning look. He was almost a bit disappointed to realize she didn't remember his name, but he saw her eyes slide to her daughter and realized she did remember, she was just avoiding mentioning their first encounter because of the circumstances.

Mark smiled gratefully. "Marcus Reynolds, ma'am,"

"Well Marcus," she smiled. "Thank you again. That was very kind of you."

"It was my pleasure," he said, glancing to the side with a soft smile.

"Maddy, could I speak to you for a moment, sweetheart," Mrs. Shannon said abruptly, and the young lady in question grimaced at the request.

Mark watched them retreat down the hallway, biting his lip in unease. Perhaps his presence here really was unwanted, no matter how nice Mrs. Shannon was to him. Had he managed to get her into trouble? God, he hoped not. He wanted her parents to trust him with her, and here he was, alone with her in her house.

"Mother!" he heard Maddy cry.

Uh oh… Mark had gotten her in trouble.

Mark was in a silent war with himself for several minutes, glancing at the door, wondering if it would be best for him to just leave and spare Mrs. Shannon the effort of asking him to. He should have realized he was overstepping his boundaries. He should have never come into her home without her permission from her parents first—no matter how terrified of Mr. Shannon he was—especially not when there was no one else present to make sure nothing inappropriate happened between them.

Despite knowing he should leave, Mark couldn't bring himself to just walk out without saying something. It would be rude and he had already screwed up enough as it is without adding a lack of manners to the list. Besides, when he left he had to at least say goodbye to Maddy, and possibly apologize for getting her in trouble. So no matter how uncomfortable he felt waiting, he stood his ground.

Mark blinked in surprise as he felt a sharp pain in his finger, looking to find the rest of the sugar root had disintegrated into powder somehow during the past few minutes until he had actually run his fingertip across the blade. He grimaced, quickly moving to the sink to place the grater in the sink as he ran his finger under water. He wasn't bleeding, but it had definitely hurt.

Drying his hands, Mark glanced back to the hallway the two women had disappeared in dreaded anticipation. He felt restless just waiting here, beginning to pace to pass the time with his arms crossed over his chest. He heard a noise, and turned to find Maddy standing close.

"Sorry that took so long," she apologized, and her mother was nowhere in sight.

Mark shook his head, releasing a relieved sigh. "It was no problem," he said, wondering where exactly her mother had gone. He was expecting to be asked to leave, although Maddy seemed to have no intention of doing that herself. "I finished," he added, gesturing to the bowl since apparently there would be no reprimand.

"Shall we?" Maddy asked with a bit of a subdued smile, and he nodded slowly when he realized what she meant. He watched her as she poured the juice into the water pitcher she had filled. "Sugar?" she requested, and he finally calmed completely as he slid the bowl closer to her, the calmness in her eyes finally putting him at ease. "Want to test it for me?"

Mark narrowed his eyes at the finished product warily. He had been fine helping create it, but that didn't mean he was interested in drinking it. He would though, because she was staring up at him with a hopeful look, and he found himself nodding his head before he could stop himself.

Maddy grinned in delight, pouring him a small amount of the drink into a cup. He accepted it with resignation, swirling the muted yellow liquid around in the cup briefly as he made a face. He quickly brought it to his mouth, closing his eyes with a wince when he felt it touch his tongue. He blinked in surprise when he actually tasted it. It was… different, certainly, though he couldn't deny that it had a certain appeal.

"Huh…" he said, placing the cup down. "That was good."

Maddy giggled at him, a musical sound that made him flush. "No need to sound so shocked," she said, and to his shock she poured another swallow into the same cup, and then sipped at it curiously. She was drinking from his cup; he flushed even more, biting his lip. "We discovered lemonade. Our names will go down in history."

Mark shook his head with a low laugh. "I wonder why no one else ever thought of this…"

"Well," she frowned thoughtfully. "Not many people bother to read ancient recipes that require real harvested fruits," She shrugged slightly, wiping down the counter as they tidied up. "Some people who lived in the hyperbaric domes probably know some, because they actually have gardens, but for the rest of us…"

Mark nodded. "Do you know a lot of recipes?"

"A few," she admitted with a smile. "My mom probably does too. My dad used to surprise us with fresh fruits when he could somehow manage to get a hold of them. Mom would make whole meals using those treats, modifying old recipes with whatever we had on hand."

Mark winced slightly at the mention of her mother. He had yet to see Mrs. Shannon since they had walked off together, and Maddy had not mentioned anything, but he was still worried. He sighed as he looked away, rubbing the back of his neck in a nervous habit.

"Did I… did I get you into trouble?" he asked anxiously, and she frowned in confusion. "By being here… with you… alone…?"

"Oh," she breathed, shaking her head. "No, not at all."

Mark bit his lip unsurely. "Really?"

"Really," Maddy said firmly with a smile. "She just wanted to talk to me about… something, and asked where Zoe and my dad went. She was a bit put off to discover that he had gone shopping… like he was supposed to do yesterday." Her voice was tinged with fond exasperation.

"Well… good." he nodded.

"Since we're all done here," Maddy began suddenly, giving him a questioning look. "Would you like to go for a walk with me?"

Mark felt his eyes widen briefly, since usually he was the one to ask. He must have been savoring that moment for a bit longer than he realized, because she soon looked down at her feet and began to withdraw her invitation.

"If you're too busy, it's fine—"

"No!" he interrupted quickly, smiling a bit sheepishly. "No. My schedule is wide open."

Maddy smiled warmly. "Shall we, Mister Reynolds?"

"Why of course, Miss Shannon," he agreed, offering her his arm. She smiled secretly to herself as she took it, her eyes meeting his with something he couldn't discern.

This was definitely progress in his book.