**************************6 months later***************************
"Mr. Shannon, wait up. Can I talk to you for a second please?" Mark yelled after his girlfriend's father. "Yeah Reynolds. I'm just going to talk to the commander." Jim said, walking up the steps to the command center. "Well as you know today is Maddy's 17th birthday and we have been dating for a year and I know that's not a long time but-" "Reynolds you sound like Maddy, get to the point." Jim said knocking on the door. "Sorry, sir. Anyways I know it's not a long time but I love Maddy and can never imagine myself without her. And I want to ask for your permission to marry her." Right then, the door opened and Taylor caught the end of the sentence and smiled widely. "It's about time soldier." Mark didn't even notice Taylor was talking, he was too busy trying to decipher the look on Jim's face. The commander spoke up again, "How about we move this conversation into my office. Jim. gun." Jim and Mark looked at him. "Just in case this ends badly." Jim hesitated but handed the gun to him as they stepped into the office.
Mark stood by the door. "Mark come sit down." Commander Taylor said to his soldier. Mark sat down despite his gut telling him not to. "Jim I believe Reynolds here asked you a question." Taylor said to a shocked Jim. "Yeah…umm…What was it again? I think I heard wrong." Jim stated. "I want your permission to ask Maddy to marry me." Mark said again not making eye contact this time.
"Like…today?" Jim questioned. "Yes sir, I got Zoe to get the ring I gave her months ago back and I had some things added to it to make it look a little different." Mark told him. "That was you and Zo? Maddy has been freaking out for days about losing that ring. She's tore the house apart every day since she lost it." Jim replied. Mark laughed a little knowing how on edge she has been lately. "Jim, quit stalling. Answer his question." Taylor said.
Jim looked at Mark and asked a simple question, "Why should I say yes?" "Because I love your daughter, sir. I would do anything to keep her safe even if it meant putting myself in danger. When Maddy smiles I know that she is the perfect girl for me, when I look into her eyes I see my forever, when I hold her hand I never want to let go. She is my everything and I know that deep down I could never be without her. When I see her cry it breaks my heart and I want to do whatever I can to never see another tear fall from her beautiful eyes. I love her with all my heart and I-" Mark stopped when Jim raised his hand not wanting to hear anymore.
"Yes." Jim said quickly before he could change his mind. Mark couldn't breath, "Wait, what? Really?" he asked in between gasps. "Yes you have my permission to marry my daughter." Jim repeated. "Thank you sir!" Mark couldn't help but to get up and hug his soon to be father-in-law. "Well then, looks like we have a wedding to prepare for." Commander Taylor said.
*************************Later that day**************************
Maddy and Mark were walking through the colony, holding hands and talking. "Babe, it just upsets me I never took it off, but the one time I did it goes missing. I don't understand, I left it on the counter but when I turned around it was gone and Zoe was in our room the whole time so she couldn't have got it." Maddy was almost in tears. "Sweetie, it's fine, we will find it. It's a ring it's not like it can just get up and walk away. Besides it's your birthday. Your 17 today and I will not let you cry on your birthday." "Have you never heard the song 'It's my party and I'll cry if I want to'?" she asked.
"Yes but that song doesn't apply to you. Today is your birthday and it's special. I have a whole day planned for us and I refuse to watch you cry when you should be celebrating." He answered. "I just want my ring back. I love that ring and I feel so…weird without it. I look down expecting to see it but it's just not there." Mark stepped in front of her to stop her. "Maddy, we will find it." He told her simply before wrapping her in a hug. She couldn't help but cry into his neck. Mark gave me that ring. There is no other one like it in the colony, and now it's gone. She thought to herself.
"Come on baby, we have places to go." Mark said as he released her and wiped her tears away. He grabbed her hand and they went off to what he had planned.
**********************That night***********************
All the Shannons, and Mark, were sitting at the table eating Maddy's favorite meal and some birthday cake. After they all got done they moved into the living room, some being on the couch and some sitting on the floor. Maddy and Mark were among the ones on the couch. She was leaned up against him, with her feet in her father's lap. Mark had a protective arm around Maddy, she had her fingers intertwined with his, and he was holding her close. Zoe, Elisabeth, and Josh was sitting in the floor. Jim, Elisabeth, and Josh were staring at him waiting for what they knew was coming. Jim had thought Elisabeth was going to have a heart attack from excitement when he told her about his and Mark's conversation. Josh had overheard and was excited too, even though his sister was just 17, if Kara hadn't died a few months ago he would have proposed to her already, and they are just 18.
"So how was your day Mad?" Elisabeth asked. "It was really fun. Mark took me to lunch and shopping. Then we just spent the rest of the day together, talking and walking around the colony." Maddy said with a smile on her face looking up at Mark, "Perfect day. Best birthday ever." She leaned up and kissed Mark and for the first time he didn't hesitate kissing her back, even with Jim in the room. After a few seconds, Jim cleared his throat and they separated.
"Maddy why don't you go get some more tea for Mark." Elisabeth said breaking the awkward silence. "Ok, you want more ice too babe?" she asked getting up and grabbing his glass from the table. "Sure thanks." He replied. "Mark how long are you going to make me wait?" Elisabeth questioned him. "Calm down Elisabeth." "No Mark, seriously, when are you going to ask? I'm like about to burst man." Josh said. "What's going on?" Zoe asked curiously. "Nothing." Jim, Elisabeth, Josh, and Mark all said.
"Here you go handsome." Maddy said handing Mark his glass and sitting down between him and her dad. "Thanks babe." "No problem." Mark sat the glass down on the side table and turned to face his soon to be fiancé, hopefully. "Maddy." Mark said a little nervous. "Yeah?" Maddy responded looking at her obviously nervous boyfriend.
"Mads, I love you and we have been through a lot together in the year we have been dating. Being trapped in the jungle, death, sickness, the colony being taken over, thinking we were dead, me being OTG, and you almost being killed; but all those things have only made us stronger and brought us closer," he reached into his pocket and got the box out and moved to get on his knee in front of her, "and I just need you to know that when I look into your eyes I see forever and I can't even remember life before you because I wasn't living life, I was just living. And I can't imagine myself without you. Will you marry me?" he finally finished and before he could even open the box she was on the ground hugging him and crying, "Yes, of course I will!" she said burying her head in into his shoulder.
When she finally released him, he opened the box and she started crying harder. She looked down at her new ring. It was still the same one from before but so much different. He had the diamonds against the light blue jewel removed and their birthstones put in, diamonds still made their way down the sides of the ring. "It's my ring! Oh my gosh Mark! How did you do this?" "That would be Zoe. She swiped it for me when you took it off. But she had no idea what I was doing." Mark said turning to Zoe, who was smiling so big he thought she might break her jaw.
Zoe ran over and hugged Mark. He just laughed and hugged her. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked leaning back and playfully hitting his chest. He was shocked and grabbed where she hit him, "Ow Zo. I wanted you to be surprised too." "Well I am!" she said letting him go and stepping back. Mark looked back at Maddy and grabbed the ring from the box and turned it around, she looked at it noticing it said something on it. "Maddy-always & forever, until the end of time. Love, Mark." She read out loud and her mother gasped while Maddy had more tears in her eyes.
Mark took the ring back from her and slid it onto her left hand where it had previously been, but this time, it was more special. It wasn't just a promise ring and she wasn't just his girlfriend anymore, it was an engagement ring and she was his wife-to-be, fiancé, love of his life, his…everything. And he couldn't be more happier that they were engaged.
They stood up from their place on the floor, and everyone gathered around them. Zoe was the first to hug both of them, next was Elisabeth who hugged them so tight neither could breath, Jim shook Mark's hand and hugged Maddy, while Josh gave Mark a 'man hug' and squeezed Maddy so tight she had to hit him on the back to let her go. He gave her a muffled, "I'm sorry. I didn't realize I squeezed you that tight." "It's fine Josh." She reassured him.
She turned to look at Mark who grabbed her and pulled her toward him. She stepped forward and hugged him then lifted her head up to kiss him. "I love you." He said after pulling away and resting his forehead on hers. She stared into his eyes knowing he meant every word. "Good because I love you too."
"I love you too Mark." Zoe screamed. "Me too Mark." Elisabeth repeated. "And me son." Jim said with a smile on his face. "What the heck, I love you too man." Josh said also. Zoe, Jim, Elisabeth, and Josh circled Maddy and Mark and squeezed them between the four of them. Then there was a knock on the door. Jim walked over and opened the door. When Jim stepped aside there stood Alicia and Taylor.
"So I heard about your plan soldier." Wash said walking into the living room. "Yeah. And?" he said joking with her. "Don't play with me Mark, I will put you on patrol duty all day everyday for the next two months, along with sparring with me when you get off." She told him sternly. Mark shifted on his feet looking kind of worried. Taylor and Jim tried hiding their laughs , but couldn't. "Licia that is no way to talk to my fiancé. I would prefer to have him around to help me plan the wedding instead of letting me do all the work and just showing up." Maddy said containing her smile. Alicia's eyes got huge and all her military training left as she ran over and hugged Maddy. "Really?" she asked not believing it.
"Yep." Maddy told her. Taylor came over and congratulated them while Wash hugged Mark. There wasn't one face in the Shannon home that wasn't smiling, even the commander had an approving smile on his face. He had took Mark under his wing once he got to Terra Nova because Mark's parents had died, and the grandfather that was supposed to come with him through the portal died a few months before their pilgrimage. And to Taylor, Mark was his son. Alicia had the same feeling towards Mark.
And Mark loved both of them and would do anything for either. "Well looks like it's time to start planning for a wedding baby." Mark said looking away from the crowd of people and towards his fiancé. "I suppose so. I love you babe." Maddy said giving him a hug and they walked towards everyone, after they had moved into the kitchen. This was the start of the rest of their lives and neither, Mark or Maddy, could be happier.