A/N: Those who've known me a long time know I'd never condone statutory rape (in States between 16 and 18 for age of consent), but I cannot get enough of Maddy and Mark on Terra Nova; they are just too cute! I had to get this tag out of my head so I can move on to other stuff.

Spacegal19, this is for you. I expect payment in the form of an awesome review.

BetherdyBabe, thanks for the assistance.

Spoilers for Nightfall.

Terra Nova owned by 20th Century Fox

Maddy Shannon didn't have time to process what words came out of her mouth. Mark had just told her what every little girl who grew up hoping to find a Prince Charming had wanted to hear. He'll always take care of me. Nothing will ever happen to me when he's around. It was better than a marriage proposal for the romantic teen.

She desperately wanted him to kiss her so she used the age-old I-don't-want-to-die-without experiencing- fill in the blank- line. Her sixteen-year-old brain said kiss, but she knew in a year or so it would have asked for something more.

Mark, ever the perfect gentleman, gave her what she wanted.

His lips captured hers before she could scream yes when he said that maybe he should kiss her. Just in case. Always one for words, she was suddenly silent - her brain blank - leaving her only to feel.

Warmth flooded not only her lips, which were possessed by Mark's mouth but her entire body. Sensations she'd never know before traveled through unknown regions of her body.

The kiss lasted forever, but not nearly long enough. When his mouth left hers, she babbled once again about being able to die now.

Mark looked long and hard at Maddy, her beautiful smile lifting him to the moon, but her words sending ice through his veins. Maddy Shannon could now die? Never.

He needed the amazing warmth that filled him moments ago when she admitted how much she trusted him. When she shared the level of her innocence with him. I want to know what it's like before I die.

Mark had been unable to stop himself from kissing her, from drinking at the fountain that sustained him. Maddy Shannon was everything to him and life before her was a dark place. Hearing her mention death again, he did the only thing he could think of and kissed her a second time.

This kiss was longer and involved his hands, one holding her firmly on his lap at the small of her back and the other brushing her matted hair back. The smell and feel of stinky mud was forgotten. He was kissing Maddy Shannon again so nothing else mattered. And she was kissing him back. This time, she matched the movements of his lips with her own. It might only be her second kiss, but the young genius picked up quickly.

They fell into a perfectly synchronized dance with their lips. Mark longed to deepen the kiss, but he was falling in love with her. To rush things would spell disaster.

A soft sound came from deep in Maddy's throat destroyed his resolve. Just one small taste of her lips, so full and so soft. It'll be enough.

A scream from the forest floor shattered the moment.

What the hell are you doing, Reynolds? This is not the time or place. You're older. You need to be the one to control the speed of this relationship. Keep her safe tonight. Return her home and see where things lead from there.

Mark shook his head as he pulled Maddy tightly against his chest, nestling her head against his shoulder. His heart and hers were thundering in their chests. "Better get some rest," he said, barely able to speak because of the huskiness in his voice.

"O-okay," she stammered, unable in her innocence to hide how affected she was from the kissing.

Later as he drifted off to sleep with the perfect woman cradled in his arms, a smile stayed fixed on his face. One day, Maddy Shannon, when we've declared our love for each other, when we're promised to each other, we'll finish what we started here.

A/N: Thank you for putting up with my indulgence. I just didn't want that one kiss to be it for the evening. Long live Maddy/Mark on Terra Nova and in fan fiction.