Mark was walking through the colony, with the ring and necklace in his pocket, not quite sure where he was going but knowing where he would wind up. Yesterday had been a really good day, he thought. He had spent all day with Zoe, they had went to lunch and got Maddy the perfect present. It was so much fun he couldn't wait to have a kid. That thought, he noticed, had started crossing his mind more and more lately. He didn't know if it was because when he looked at Maddy he saw his whole life or if it was Zoe. But either way if he and Maddy wasn't so young he wouldn't hesitate to have a child with the love of his life. The past few nights he had dreamt of what their child would look like and that had scared him but made him excited too.
Maddy just walked out of her house, going towards the market to look around. Maddy had the same feeling as Mark, but she didn't know that she did, that if she wasn't as young as she was she would want to have a baby. Mark made her feel invincible and when she looked into his light blue eyes all she saw was the man she wanted to be with the rest of her life. Every since they started dating, even before they started dating, but she doesn't like to admit it, she had dreamed of what their wedding would be like and how their children would look. She had never had this feeling before, this feeling of safeness and love. She loved this feeling and most of all she loved Mark and he loved her and that was all she needed. Lost in her thoughts she hadn't realized she took a wrong turn and was just walking in circles, then all of a sudden she was stumbling back from running into someone.
"Oh I'm so sorry," she said looking up and seeing the blue eyes she knew so well looking back at her, "Well hello there handsome." "It's fine, really. And your Miss Shannnon right? Maddy? Thanks for the compliment but from what I hear your boyfriend is someone who shouldn't be messed with." Mark said playfully. "Oh he's not. He's a soldier and very protective," she remarked wrapping her arms around his neck, "but he is not that scary. And I can't seem to find him either, as a matter of fact." "Well isn't that a shame?" he said with a smirk, his arms going around her waist.
"Yes, it really is, because I have nothing to do today and I was wanting some alone time. Because for some reason my little sister always seems to be around nowadays." She said giggling. "Well let me help you find him then." Mark replied looking away from her to look around. "Hi gorgeous." He said looking back at her and giving her a kiss. Maddy laughed and said, "I thought you had to work today. What are you doing just walking around?"
"Well I did have to work but Commander Taylor is OTG and your father is in charge. Surprisingly, he relieved me of my duties for the day after your mother came and talked to him at lunch." He told his girlfriend. "That was nice of him. And very unlike him to let someone off work before it was their time to leave. But that doesn't matter now. You want to go do something?" She asked with a pout.
"You and Zo are horrible! You use that face knowing it will get you anything," He said exhaling loudly and stomping like a child, "And of course I do, let's go." He grabbed her hand fast and they took off running. They winded up near the apple fields with Mark leaning against a tree and Maddy half against the tree and half laying down, looking at all the different colors.
"So what were you thinking about when we ran into each other? You seemed like you were in deep thought about something." Mark asked playing with Maddy's hair. "Nothing, it was stupid." She replied. "Maddy, nothing that goes through your mind is stupid." He said sweetly. "Ugh, ok. I was thinking about us…our future. What our wedding would be like and how our kids would look. It's such a dumb thing to do considering our age but it's just something I do," she said blushing, wishing she wasn't saying this but knowing she couldn't say no to him, "What about you? You were pretty deep in thought yourself." Mark laughed, "Actually, I was thinking about the same thing. Zoe has that affect on me, she looks so much like you it makes me wonder if that's what our daughter would look like if we ever had children."
Maddy blushed even more at his confession. "I always imagined twins: a boy and girl. That's my dream. A son to look just like you and a daughter being the perfect mix of both of us but both with your amazing blue eyes." She said. "Twins," he repeated, "I like that idea. But I would want the girl to look exactly like you and the boy could be like me but have your brains. Both with your beautiful brown eyes." Maddy sat up with tears in her eyes and kissed him. Minutes later they separated, tears still in her eyes. Mark put his hand to her cheek and wiped away the one tear that escaped, kissing her cheek where it had been.
"I got something for you." He finally said, reaching into his pocket. "Really?" she said with a smile. He pulled out two little boxes, one wrapped and one, she noticed, as a ring box. "What did you do Mark?" she got out between giggles. "Well, the other day while you were sleeping and me and Zo left, we went shopping. I had been saving up money to get you something and when I got to watch Zoe I thought it was a perfect time to go so she could help me." He answered sweetly, with a big grin on his face, handing her both boxes not knowing which one he wanted her to open first.
She decided on the wrapped one first. Slowly tearing the wrapping paper off she found a long, skinny box. When she opened it it was all she could do to not cry, but she failed and tears started falling. "Oh my gosh! Mark! It's gorgeous!" she said sobbing, "Wait is that a dayflower?" "Sure is. Do you like it?" he asked not knowing if the tears were good or bad. "Like it?..Mark I LOVE it!" she was almost screaming by this time. She sat up fast and hugged him as tight as she could. He returned the hug but not squeezing as hard as he could, knowing he would hurt her if he done so.
"The best part is that it's tags." He told her. She tilted her head confused on how he had made tags into dayflowers or how he even got tags in the first place, since soldiers were the only people that they could be issued to. "Tags? How did you get an ok to give me tags? And how did you get them to look like this?" she asked growing more curious by the second. "Well first off, Zoe and Alicia are the ones that got me cleared to get them. Turns out the commander can't say no to both of them. So he said you could have them if they were made to not look like tags. Second of all, the dayflower thing…all Alicia. She remodeled them somehow after seeing a picture of them on her plex a few weeks ago, and since she couldn't wear it she said she'd be honored if you did."
"This is amazing! Will you help me put it on?" she questioned. "Well of course! Turn around." He complied. She turned and he clamped the latch on the necklace and she turned back around. "Well you still have one more, and this is the one I'm excited about." He told her. So she grabbed the box and opened the top really slow, excited and worried to see what was inside. When the box was completely opened she gasped and just stared at the most beautiful ring she had ever seen.
"Mark, this is beautiful. I've never seen anything like it before. It takes my breath away." She said admirably. "Wash and your mother had the same reaction." "Licia and my mom have seen this?" "Yes, Zo helped pick it out so she was excited to show it off to everyone. As a matter of fact the tags were Zoe's idea too, she told the commander about how she worried about you when I was OTG." "She is the most amazing little sister ever. This ring is just…amazing. It matches your eyes." She said. "That's what Zoe said. She liked it because it matched my eyes and you love my eyes." "Well now I'm just going to have to have a talk with her."
"No don't do that, she was just trying to help. Besides what the ring means is more important than why she liked it." He said looking down nervously. "Well what does it mean?" she asked. "It's a promise that no matter what happens I'm here with you. Whether I'm OTG or just working and can't be around you. It's a promise that I'll be here to protect you from anyone or anything that threatens you. And most of all a promise that I love you and, one day, want to make you my wife and have kids, and everything and anything else you want from life. Because I'm yours always and forever, or at least as long as you'll have me."
Maddy was crying uncontrollably now and all she could get out was, "Always and forever. I'm yours and your mine, until the end of time. I love you." Mark took the ring from her and slid it onto her left ring finger and simply said, "Always and forever, until the end of time. I love you baby girl." She just stared at the ring on her hand for a few minutes while Mark watched her. Then all of a sudden she pushed him down to the ground and followed him, kissing him for as long as she could, not ever wanting to move. Probably about 10 minutes later she released his lips to breath. "Hey babe. Let's take a picture." she said rolling off him, and held up her new tags to take a picture. They both smiled into the camera, then she took a picture of them looking at each other lovingly. thenMark leaned down and kissed her as she took another. "Perfect." she said looking at the pictures, "They are so clear!" "Yeah, Alicia made the camera better too when she remodeled the tags." Mark told her.
"Well it's perfect. And so is my ring. I love them both. And I love you." "I'm glad you like them. And I love you more." he said teasingly. "Yeah right. We'll see about that." Maddy said getting back up and kissing her boyfriend again. Mark just pulled her close and rubbed his hand up and down her back, as he held the only girl he had ever loved, and the only girl he will ever love.
So this had A LOT of fluff and is the longest chapter so far. But by far one of the best, I think. Hope you enjoyed it. I'm writing the last few chapters now, with a time jump...then I'll do a sequel. So I wanted to know what you thought. Oh and I'm going to give you guys a chance to help me name the sequel, so any ideas let me know when you review!