The Next Chapter (5/?)
Title: The Next Chapter
Character/Pairing: Maddy Shannon/Mark Reynolds
Word Count: 1,385
Genre: Romance/Family
Rating: PG
Summary: Maddy and Mark are beginning their lives together.
AN: I loved 'Vs', there were Maddy and Mark scenes in it! Thank god, I don't know what I would've done if there wasn't!
1 2 3 4
Maddy sat in the Infirmary’s waiting room. Her data pad was perched on her lap, with her lab notes on the clear screen.
She could hear the Skye’s anger filled voice, slightly drowned out by the walls of her room. Her sister-in-law was seven hours into labour, and nine centimetres dilated. Through every contraction, she made sure to yell at Josh, and practically broke his hand; Jim had come in during one of the contractions, and winced heavily at Skye’s yelling; he remembered being in the same position as his son, he even had the faint scars on his hand from Elisabeth’s nails digging into his palm to prove it.
Commander Taylor had come during Skye’s fourth hour of labour, and wished her luck. He promised that he’d come by again later when the baby was born. He placed a kiss on Skye’s forehead, before leaving, and returning to his office to deal with a slight communication problem at an outpost.
Mark was off getting coffee for the people who had situated themselves in the waiting room. Tasha, Max, and Hunter were sitting in the waiting room, playing different games on their data pads.
Maddy tried to focus on her notes, but after an hour of staring at them, they were just blurry lines and symbols that her brain refused to process. Sighing, Maddy turned her data pad off, and closed her eyes, trying to drown out the sound of Max’s yelling at the game he was playing, and the constant screams from Skye’s room. After trying to sleep for a few minutes, she realised that it was impossible. Maddy stared at the blank screen of her data-pad, before slipping it back into its case. Thankfully, Mark walked into the waiting room, a tray full of steaming cups of coffee in hand.
Tasha’s dull eyes seemed to brighten up immediately at the sight and smell of freshly brewed coffee. She practically ran at Mark, and grabbed a cup and started gulping it down, without saying a word to anyone. Mark just shook his head, and placed the tray on the table. He picked two cups, and walked over to where Maddy was sitting.
“One French Vanilla Cappuccino Supreme for you, and one black, no sugar coffee for me.” Mark smiled, and handed Maddy her cappuccino. “I don’t understand how you can drink that, all that sugar takes away the coffee’s taste.”
“That’s the point. If I’m going to pay a terra for it, it might as well be loaded up with as much sugary things as possible, because I can easily make a cup of regular coffee at home, and it’d be much cheaper.”
Mark laughed at her response, and slung his arm around her shoulder, as she snuggled into his side, while sipping from her coffee cup slowly. Maddy felt at peace in Mark’s arms, it was like all her worries had been washed away.
Maddy was beginning to think that it was possible for her to get some sleep, buried in Mark’s arms, when her father burst into the room.
“It’s time. The baby should be here soon.”
Maddy jerked forward at the news. Her niece (or nephew) was almost here! She listened to Skye faint screams, and yelling, each curse insulting and cursing Josh for getting her pregnant in the first place. She saw a nurse rush towards the room, to assist with the delivery. Everyone looked anxious, but stayed seated, or sat back down, for those who had jumped up at the news.
The initial excitement at the news died down, and the pacing began for Jim. Maddy’s hand was twitching because it seemed like her father would wear a hole in the floor.
“Dad! Just sit down, please. You’re going to wear a hole in the floor!” Maddy finally exclaimed.
Jim turned to his daughter, “Huh? Oh, sorry Maddy.”
He sat down in one the chairs, but kept tapping the wooden armrest with his nails. “I feel so old, and I’m only forty five!”
“That’s because you are old, Dad.” She heard Zoe mutter from her seat. She had slipped back into the infirmary moments before. She was in the ‘I don’t care’ phase, that Jim didn’t understand, even after already going through it twice.
Jim didn’t hear her, and continued tapping, much to Maddy’s annoyance. Maddy buried her head into Mark’s side, in attempt to drown the noise out. After what seemed like hours, Elisabeth walked into the waiting room, she looked overjoyed. Jim stood up when he saw her, and everyone else turned to stare at her.
“It’s a girl! She was born at six pounds, eight ounces. They’re still deciding on a name though. You can come in and see them now.” Elisabeth said, with tears shining in her eyes.
Maddy practically jumped out of the chair to follow her mother back to the room where her new niece was waiting, along with her parents. Jim was a few feet in front of her, and Mark, along with Tasha, Max, and Hunter followed behind them. They entered the room quietly, and saw Skye lying tiredly in the bed, with Josh sitting beside her, staring at the pink bundle in his wife’s arms in awe. Maddy spotted saw a tuft of dirty blonde hair sticking out of the blanket, and stepped closer into the room.
“Congratulations.” Maddy said quietly.
“Thanks,” Skye said, “Do you want to hold her?”
“Really?” Skye nodded, “Sure.”
Maddy walked over to the side of the bed, and sat down on the chair that Josh had just gotten up from. Skye carefully placed her daughter in Maddy’s arms, placing a kiss to her forehead as she did so.
Maddy stared at the baby in awe. Her eyes were wide open, revealing a set of crystal blue eyes, the same eyes that Josh and her father had. There was a head full fuzzy of blonde hair on the baby’s head.
“Her name’s Serena. Serena Annalisa Shannon.” Josh said.
“That’s a beautiful name, Josh.” Maddy said, carefully handing Serena over to her father.
“Beautiful name, for a beautiful girl.” Jim said. “I’ll help with scaring prospective boyfriends away,”
“Not for long long time Dad,” Josh replied.
Mark chuckled from beside Maddy. He remembered the glare that Jim had always used on him when he first began courting
Maddy, and up until the day they had gotten married. That glare still scared him shitless, it was worse that Alicia’s glare, and that was saying something. He felt for any person who had to be subjected to not only Jim Shannon, but Josh Shannon too. Those too combined were one mean duo.
“Mark, Tasha,” Skye said, looking at her friends, who stepped closer to her at the sound of their names. Maddy looked at them curiously.
Josh placed a hand over his wife’s as she spoke, “We would like for you two to be the Godparents, if you want to.”
“Really? Of course I will! I’d love to!” Tasha squealed, and went to Jim, who reluctantly handed Serena over.
“Mark?” Skye asked, looking at her friend, who looked shocked.
“Yes? Oh, Sorry, I’m just shocked, but, of course I’ll be her Godfather, it’d be an honour.” Mark smiled, and held his hands out as
Serena was handed to him.
Mark looked into the little girl’s innocent blue eyes, and smiled. Maddy came to his side, and ran her thumb over the newborn’s
cheek gently. She smiled at the thought that possibly the next time she was in the Maternity room, it would be to have her own child.
“I can go call the Commander now,” Max offered, after he had held his best friend’s daughter.
“That’d be great, Max,” Skye said, her eyes closing sleepily.
“Okay now,” A nurse, who had been standing in the corner of the room said, “I think that Mrs. Shannon here needs her rest.”
Everyone slowly filed out of the room, understanding what the nurse said. Maddy glanced one more time at her niece, who was lying in her father’s arms, before leaving the room. She and Mark slowly made their way back to their home, it was after 9PM by the time they left the hospital, and all the couple wanted to do was curl up in each other’s arms, and sleep.
Character/Pairing: Maddy Shannon/Mark Reynolds
Word Count: 1,385
Genre: Romance/Family
Rating: PG
Summary: Maddy and Mark are beginning their lives together.
AN: I loved 'Vs', there were Maddy and Mark scenes in it! Thank god, I don't know what I would've done if there wasn't!
1 2 3 4
Maddy sat in the Infirmary’s waiting room. Her data pad was perched on her lap, with her lab notes on the clear screen.
She could hear the Skye’s anger filled voice, slightly drowned out by the walls of her room. Her sister-in-law was seven hours into labour, and nine centimetres dilated. Through every contraction, she made sure to yell at Josh, and practically broke his hand; Jim had come in during one of the contractions, and winced heavily at Skye’s yelling; he remembered being in the same position as his son, he even had the faint scars on his hand from Elisabeth’s nails digging into his palm to prove it.
Commander Taylor had come during Skye’s fourth hour of labour, and wished her luck. He promised that he’d come by again later when the baby was born. He placed a kiss on Skye’s forehead, before leaving, and returning to his office to deal with a slight communication problem at an outpost.
Mark was off getting coffee for the people who had situated themselves in the waiting room. Tasha, Max, and Hunter were sitting in the waiting room, playing different games on their data pads.
Maddy tried to focus on her notes, but after an hour of staring at them, they were just blurry lines and symbols that her brain refused to process. Sighing, Maddy turned her data pad off, and closed her eyes, trying to drown out the sound of Max’s yelling at the game he was playing, and the constant screams from Skye’s room. After trying to sleep for a few minutes, she realised that it was impossible. Maddy stared at the blank screen of her data-pad, before slipping it back into its case. Thankfully, Mark walked into the waiting room, a tray full of steaming cups of coffee in hand.
Tasha’s dull eyes seemed to brighten up immediately at the sight and smell of freshly brewed coffee. She practically ran at Mark, and grabbed a cup and started gulping it down, without saying a word to anyone. Mark just shook his head, and placed the tray on the table. He picked two cups, and walked over to where Maddy was sitting.
“One French Vanilla Cappuccino Supreme for you, and one black, no sugar coffee for me.” Mark smiled, and handed Maddy her cappuccino. “I don’t understand how you can drink that, all that sugar takes away the coffee’s taste.”
“That’s the point. If I’m going to pay a terra for it, it might as well be loaded up with as much sugary things as possible, because I can easily make a cup of regular coffee at home, and it’d be much cheaper.”
Mark laughed at her response, and slung his arm around her shoulder, as she snuggled into his side, while sipping from her coffee cup slowly. Maddy felt at peace in Mark’s arms, it was like all her worries had been washed away.
Maddy was beginning to think that it was possible for her to get some sleep, buried in Mark’s arms, when her father burst into the room.
“It’s time. The baby should be here soon.”
Maddy jerked forward at the news. Her niece (or nephew) was almost here! She listened to Skye faint screams, and yelling, each curse insulting and cursing Josh for getting her pregnant in the first place. She saw a nurse rush towards the room, to assist with the delivery. Everyone looked anxious, but stayed seated, or sat back down, for those who had jumped up at the news.
The initial excitement at the news died down, and the pacing began for Jim. Maddy’s hand was twitching because it seemed like her father would wear a hole in the floor.
“Dad! Just sit down, please. You’re going to wear a hole in the floor!” Maddy finally exclaimed.
Jim turned to his daughter, “Huh? Oh, sorry Maddy.”
He sat down in one the chairs, but kept tapping the wooden armrest with his nails. “I feel so old, and I’m only forty five!”
“That’s because you are old, Dad.” She heard Zoe mutter from her seat. She had slipped back into the infirmary moments before. She was in the ‘I don’t care’ phase, that Jim didn’t understand, even after already going through it twice.
Jim didn’t hear her, and continued tapping, much to Maddy’s annoyance. Maddy buried her head into Mark’s side, in attempt to drown the noise out. After what seemed like hours, Elisabeth walked into the waiting room, she looked overjoyed. Jim stood up when he saw her, and everyone else turned to stare at her.
“It’s a girl! She was born at six pounds, eight ounces. They’re still deciding on a name though. You can come in and see them now.” Elisabeth said, with tears shining in her eyes.
Maddy practically jumped out of the chair to follow her mother back to the room where her new niece was waiting, along with her parents. Jim was a few feet in front of her, and Mark, along with Tasha, Max, and Hunter followed behind them. They entered the room quietly, and saw Skye lying tiredly in the bed, with Josh sitting beside her, staring at the pink bundle in his wife’s arms in awe. Maddy spotted saw a tuft of dirty blonde hair sticking out of the blanket, and stepped closer into the room.
“Congratulations.” Maddy said quietly.
“Thanks,” Skye said, “Do you want to hold her?”
“Really?” Skye nodded, “Sure.”
Maddy walked over to the side of the bed, and sat down on the chair that Josh had just gotten up from. Skye carefully placed her daughter in Maddy’s arms, placing a kiss to her forehead as she did so.
Maddy stared at the baby in awe. Her eyes were wide open, revealing a set of crystal blue eyes, the same eyes that Josh and her father had. There was a head full fuzzy of blonde hair on the baby’s head.
“Her name’s Serena. Serena Annalisa Shannon.” Josh said.
“That’s a beautiful name, Josh.” Maddy said, carefully handing Serena over to her father.
“Beautiful name, for a beautiful girl.” Jim said. “I’ll help with scaring prospective boyfriends away,”
“Not for long long time Dad,” Josh replied.
Mark chuckled from beside Maddy. He remembered the glare that Jim had always used on him when he first began courting
Maddy, and up until the day they had gotten married. That glare still scared him shitless, it was worse that Alicia’s glare, and that was saying something. He felt for any person who had to be subjected to not only Jim Shannon, but Josh Shannon too. Those too combined were one mean duo.
“Mark, Tasha,” Skye said, looking at her friends, who stepped closer to her at the sound of their names. Maddy looked at them curiously.
Josh placed a hand over his wife’s as she spoke, “We would like for you two to be the Godparents, if you want to.”
“Really? Of course I will! I’d love to!” Tasha squealed, and went to Jim, who reluctantly handed Serena over.
“Mark?” Skye asked, looking at her friend, who looked shocked.
“Yes? Oh, Sorry, I’m just shocked, but, of course I’ll be her Godfather, it’d be an honour.” Mark smiled, and held his hands out as
Serena was handed to him.
Mark looked into the little girl’s innocent blue eyes, and smiled. Maddy came to his side, and ran her thumb over the newborn’s
cheek gently. She smiled at the thought that possibly the next time she was in the Maternity room, it would be to have her own child.
“I can go call the Commander now,” Max offered, after he had held his best friend’s daughter.
“That’d be great, Max,” Skye said, her eyes closing sleepily.
“Okay now,” A nurse, who had been standing in the corner of the room said, “I think that Mrs. Shannon here needs her rest.”
Everyone slowly filed out of the room, understanding what the nurse said. Maddy glanced one more time at her niece, who was lying in her father’s arms, before leaving the room. She and Mark slowly made their way back to their home, it was after 9PM by the time they left the hospital, and all the couple wanted to do was curl up in each other’s arms, and sleep.