A/N - Well it's been just over two weeks since my last update, I've felt a bit blocked lately but I'm determined to push on ahead for my loyal readers :) So here's chapter seven!
Previously...
"I'll never get tired of doing that." He admitted.
Maddy shook her head. "Me neither."
She moved quickly, wanting to be the one to initiate it this time, pressing her mouth to his once more as the colourful lights danced in the sky above them. She'd said it before and she'd say it now, she was completely in love.
Chapter Seven - Worries
The last couple of weeks were just crazy for Maddy and all of Terra Nova. The sixer spy had been discovered and to almost everyone's shock, the spy was revealed to be Skye. Maddy couldn't quite shake the image of Josh's face from her mind of when he had heard the news. Needless to say, he'd been avoiding Skye as of late and was more focused on the fact that in just over three days Kara would be coming through with the 11th pilgrimage.
"I can't wait to see her, I wonder if she's changed at all...?" Josh's voice echoed vaguely in the back of Maddy's mind.
Maddy couldn't help but smile however at the thought because for the first time since arriving here, Josh was one hundred percent happy. Elizabeth however, was on edge, her husband would be on the front line when the pilgrimage arrived. Turns out that Lucas had successfully completed his plans and had figured out how to make the portal go both ways. That meant that no one knew who would come through the time fracture, it could be a hundred people looking for a new start or an army of soldiers determined to suck the life from the place that the Shannon's had come to know as home.
"Maddy!" Maddy's favourite voice called from behind her.
She turned to see Mark approaching, a sheepish grin on his lips. Maddy grinned in return and began a slow pace towards him, she'd managed to keep certain thoughts out of her mind but in this moment as she approached him, those thoughts hit her like a ton of bricks. Mark would be on the front line alongside her father. The image that plagued her mind next had her heart falling into her stomach and just as Mark reached her side, Maddy's legs gave out from under her and she felt herself falling.
"Woah, Maddy!" Mark steadied her before she could hit the floor. "Are you okay?"
Maddy slowly glanced up at his face, his eyes flashing with concern. "No."
"What's wrong, are you sick?" He asked her tentatively, gripping her face in both of his hands, one of them covering her forehead. "You don't have a fever, that's good at least."
"I'm not sick." Maddy exhaled and straightened up, stepping out of his grasp. "It's just..."
"Yes?" He probed her to continue.
"It's just...the thought that you could die just really hit me." Maddy replied, the words tumbling out of her mouth so fast, Mark barely registered her reply.
"I could die..." He began. "That's always a risk, anyone could die Maddy!"
Maddy sighed and rubbed her face with her hand, pulling back a stray piece of hair that fell over her eyes, Mark gripped one of her hands tightly in his own, bringing it to his chest and holding it there while watching her carefully.
"You don't get it." Maddy spoke softly. "You could die if anyone but the next pilgrimage comes through that fracture!"
The realization of Maddy's words dawned over Mark's face as he remained silent for a moment, Maddy waited for him to speak up but nothing came from his mouth, he just stared at her.
"Well?" Maddy almost shouted. "Are you gonna say something or just stand there staring?"
"...Maddy, I know where you're coming from here but we've talked about situations like this. I could die at any moment no matter what my work has me doing. You know that."
Maddy shook her head and turned from him. She refused to cry and show any weakness as she turned to him, kissing him so fiercely, he nearly tumbled backwards and fell. He seemed shocked at first before he wrapped both arms around her and kissed her back with as much intensity as he could muster. They stood for what felt like hours in the crowded streets of the colony as people walked by, all staring with interest the scene they were trying not to interrupt. When Maddy pulled away, her lips were red raw and her eyes glossy, she felt dizzy and her legs felt like jelly but she knew she had to say what she'd been wanting to say for days now.
"Promise me." She spoke, her voice barely even a whisper.
"Huh?" Mark asked, his own eyes showing how dazed he was.
Maddy smiled at the fact that she'd not been the only one affected by the kiss in that way. She cupped his cheek with one of her shaking hands, he leaned into her touch and closed his eyes, a lazy smile playing across his face. When he opened his eyes, his gaze locked with Maddy's as he waited for her to continue.
"Promise me you'll come back..." Maddy cleared her thought. "Promise you'll come back... to me."
Mark sighed but couldn't help himself as he felt the smile fall from his face. He couldn't make promises like that, not with his job. There was no possible way to promise that. He sighed and watched as a tears formed in his girlfriend's eyes, he could tell she knew what he was about to say and he hated that he had to tell her.
"I can't." Mark looked away, his own eyes prickling with tears. "I can't promise that."
"Then promise you'll try...please." Maddy's voice cried out.
Mark nodded. "You know I'll always try, I lo..." He trailed off as a beeping on his belt alerted them that he had to go. Maddy sniffled, wiping her tears away.
"I have to..." Mark whispered, indicating with his thumb that he had to leave.
"I know." Maddy nodded.
Mark took a step back, watching her face, she seemed to have lost all emotion in her eyes and he hated that she worried so much for him. He quickly stepped forward and kissed her one last time before moving away.
"I'll come see you tonight, leave your window open."
Maddy nodded as he walked away.
"No way, that's not happening Elizabeth!" Jim's voice yelled as Maddy entered the Shannon home.
Maddy heard her mother sigh and walk around the counter in the small kitchen, Maddy entered the room and watched as Elizabeth placed her palm on Jim's cheek much like Maddy had earlier with Mark, Jim sighed and turned his head, placing a soft kiss to his wife's palm. He sighed and opened his eyes, both of them not even noticing that Maddy had entered the room.
"I have to Jim, just like you do." Elizabeth finally spoke up.
They jumped as Maddy spoke. "You have to what?"
Elizabeth turned to glance at her daughter, a sad smile playing on her face, she didn't mean to upset her eldest daughter more but just like every other person with an obligation to their job, she would be there for the arrival of the next pilgrimage...or the angry Phoenix group.
"I've been assigned to the pilgrimage arrival, I'll be there to help when they arrive." Elizabeth spoke.
Maddy felt as if someone twisted a knife in her heart. "Oh." She said flatly.
She turned and left the room quietly, the sound of her mother's footsteps following her only spurred her on further, she rushed to her room and closed the door, crashing onto her bed and covering herself with the blanket, hiding her face in the soft mattress below her. She heard the door slide open and felt the dip in the bed as her mother sat on the edge of the bed.
"Maddy?" Her voice spoke hesitantly. "Are you okay?"
Maddy scoffed inwardly, opening her eyes angrily and ripping the sheet from over her head, when the glare on her face registered in her mother's eyes, she watched as her mother's face crumpled in pain.
"Oh yeah, I'm just great, both my mom and my dad and my boyfriend are going to stand in possibly the most dangerous position they've ever been in and I get to sit around here and wait, no hope, that they all come back just fine!"
Maddy's anger deflated when her mother moved away slightly and she fell forward, wrapping her arms around her mother and sobbed.
"Oh Maddy." Her mother comforted her, running a hand through her hair. "I know you're worried but it could all be for nothing, It could just be a regular pilgrimage coming through."
"Yeah...could be." Maddy pulled back. "as in anything could happen!"
"...Maddy." Elizabeth tried to speak.
"No, I just...I just need to be alone, please" Maddy cut her off.
Elizabeth nodded and withdrew from her daughters grasp before backing out of the room, closing the door softly, Maddy turned away from the door and closed her eyes. She was asleep before she knew it.
"Maddy!" Mark's voice called out, trying not to be too loud.
When Maddy opened her eyes, her vision was blurred but she could tell that Zoe wasn't in her own bed. The window was open causing a slightly breeze to enter the room as Maddy stood, she moved to the door, prying it open further. Standing back, she watched as Mark silently crawled through the window. He grinned when he accomplished this without making any noise. He had promised himself that he'd never disrespect Jim Shannon by sneaking into his home to possibly make-out with his daughter or stay the night but he had to see his girlfriend and calling in at this hour was out of the question.
"God, I missed you like crazy!" He sighed. "I'm sotired but I just had to see you."
He gasped slightly when the light caught Maddy's face, her eyes were red and puffy as tear tracks streaked her cheeks, he could tell she'd been crying about earlier and it hurt him like hell to think that she was so worried and so scared of losing him that she'd literally cried herself to sleep. Her quickly pulled her to him, pressing himself as closely to her as possible, wrapping his arms around her.
"Maddy, I..." He whispered. "Okay."
Maddy's brow creased. "Okay?" She pulled away to glance at his face.
"I promise you, okay?" Mark inched closer, his breath fanning over her face. "I will come back to you, I promise, I won't let anything keep us apart!"
Maddy remained silent, turning and walking to her bed, towing Mark with her by his hand, they both sat facing each other on the edge of the bed in complete silence. Maddy opened her mouth to speak but no words left her lips, she closed it again and tried to speak several times before she nodded and smiled slightly.
"You better." She joked, a playful grin on her lips.
Mark smiled back, satisfied that he'd finally made her feel better about the situation, he knew that she'd still worry but there was nothing to stop that, he could tell that she felt better from the fact that he was so willing to return to her and that brought a smile to his face. He loved making her feel better when she was upset but most of all, he loved when she smiled. Mark glanced at his watch, he frowned before standing, Maddy following.
"I should go." Mark sighed. "I wish I didn't have to but I should."
Maddy nodded. "Thank you."
"I didn't do anything." Mark grinned.
"You did more than you know." Maddy replied.
Mark nodded and turned towards the window, walking across the room, when he turned to face his girlfriend again, she was right beside him. He opened his mouth to speak only to find himself cut off by her lips, he placed his hand behind her neck and held her against him, kissing her softly and giving everything he could to that kiss.
"Goodnight." Maddy spoke breathlessly.
Mark's lips turned upwards, "Goodnight."
He paused, turning away and then turning once more to face her. "Maddy, I just wanted to tell you that I...I love..."
The creak of the floorboards outside of Maddy's door alerted them that someone was coming, Mark rushed out of the window, crashing to the ground outside of the window painfully.
"Maddy, who were you talking to?" Jim's voice spoke from the now open doorway.
"I..." Maddy began, her eyes flashing with fear that she'd been caught.
A/N - Okay, I know that's evil but I couldn't help but cut off here, The next chapter will hopefully be up within the next week but I'm not entirely sure. But I can offer you all a special treat, for those that leave a review, you'll get a preview of the next chapter :D So get clicking on the button below!
