A/N: As promised, here is the swimming story mentioned in Climbing Trees Is Foolish. Hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Terra Nova. But if I did, Mark Reynolds would be shirtless all the time.

"I…I don't even have a bathing suit," Maddy stammered, using every excuse she could think of.

Mark had showed up on her porch that very morning and he had insisted that tomorrow was the day he would teach her to swim. Maddy's mind immediately froze in a panic as she thought of reasons to get out of going, all the while knowing it was futile. He always had a way of seeing through her lies. He knew too well.

Mark smirked. "Well, you don't really need a bathing suit. I mean you can just not wear anything. I certainly don't mind."

Maddy looked at him with wide eyes. "You, Mr. Reynolds, have a dirty mind. And that comment was entirely inappropriate."

"I know," Mark sighed, "but how could I resist? And anyway, you can just wear some old clothes or something. Shorts and a t-shirt. Whatever you want. It's just going to be us."

"But what if I drown? I don't know how to swim!" Maddy finally worded her fear, the actual reason she didn't want to go.

Marks face softened and he reached out to cup her cheek. "I know you can't swim Mad, that's why I'm teaching you. A day might come when you actually need to swim for some reason, and you want you to be prepared if that ever happens. As for the drowning, I'm kind of offended that you think I'd ever let you drown. Honestly, do think I'd take you swimming if I wasn't comfortable with my own swimming skills?"

Maddy let out a breath, finally giving in. "I know you'd never let anything happen to me. And I guess you're right, I really should learn."

"Good," Mark smiled. "I'll pick you up at nine tomorrow morning. Be ready."

Maddy nodded and reached up to kiss his cheek before turning and going into her house.

True to his word, Mark was at the door at exactly 9 a.m. the next day. Maddy took one last look at the navy blue one-piece suit her mom had gotten her before she pulled a dress on over it and ran to answer the door.

After putting shoes on and grabbing a light jacket Maddy followed Mark to the rover that was parked outside her house.

"Where are we going anyway?" she asked as Mark helped her in before walking around to the other side.

"There's a pond a few clicks OTG," he replied, reaching out to hold her hand. "It's a great place to learn."

"Wonderful," she unenthusiastically said, as he steered the rover out of the colony and into the jungle.

When they arrived at their destination a few minutes later, Maddy got out of the rover and carefully approached the small pond. Mark grabbed the towels out of the rover and came to stand by her side.

Maddy frowned at the deep-looking pool of clear water. "I don't know," she said. "Are you sure it's safe? I mean, there could be any number of creatures in there." She shuddered dramatically.

"It's fine," Mark said, rolling his eyes. "The guys and I swim here all the time. It was either this or the ocean. And I'm sure you know that the ocean isn't really a realistic option."

"But we're OTG," Maddy pointed out. "What if something attacks us while we're in the water? We'll be utterly defenseless. Couldn't you teach me how to swim somewhere in the colony?"

"No, there's nowhere in the colony to swim, unless you want to get arrested for contaminating the drinking supply. And don't worry about being attacked. First of all, it's the middle of the day. Second, I have my gun. We'll be perfectly safe."

Maddy wanted to protest, but when Mark took off his shirt and began to wade into the water she lost all ability to talk, think, and breathe.

"So weightless," Maddy murmured as Mark held her floating body up. She leaned back until she was floating parallel to the water's surface and closed her eyes.

Mark looked down at her serene face and wondered how someone could be so beautiful. She was so tiny and light already, but with her in the water, his hands supporting her, it was like she weighed nothing at all. Like if he closed his eyes she would simply disappear.

"Not as scary as you thought huh?" Mark said snidely.

Maddy opened her eyes to look up at him. "No," she admitted, "it's not. But then again, I haven't really done any swimming yet."

"Well, then," Mark said as he began his hands away from her, "let's get to that part…"

Maddy had completely freaked out the moment Mark let go of her, but he quickly calmed her down enough to get to work. He had taught her a few basic strokes, and though she felt idiotic and inept at first, she was pleased with what she had eventually accomplished.

Now, after hours of swimming, Maddy was exhausted. She and Mark laid out in the sun next to the pond in comfortable silence, wrapped in the fluffy towels Mark had packed.

After awhile of just staring at the cloudless blue sky Maddy turned and propped herself up on her elbow to look down at Mark. She wondered how it was possible that such a beautiful, kind, loving man ever became interested in her silly, rambling self.

Mark felt Maddy's gaze on him and turned his head to look up at her. "What?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Thank you," Maddy said, a smile gracing her lips. "Thank you so much."

"For teaching you to swim? No problem. Though I was concerned at first that you weren't capable of swimming at all…" Mark trailed off as Maddy swatted at his arm playfully.

"For teaching me to swim…for listening to me ramble…for protecting me…for liking me…for courting me…for loving me…for existing…for everything…just…everything…" Maddy stopped talking as she realized she was rambling, as always.

Mark quickly rolled until he was hovering over Maddy, a glint in his eyes. "You're welcome for everything," he whispered, leaning in for a kiss, "but it was my pleasure."

A/N: You like it? Hope so! Hate it? That sucks, but I still want feedback. Criticisms? Ideas? Crazy fangirl experiences? I'd like to hear it all :)

Oh, and if you're the kind of person (like me) who will wonder for hours about what Maddy's bathing suit looks like, you can find it on the J. Crew website. Just search: tulle underwire tank. Yup, so that. But in dark navy.