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Word Count: 798

Ship: Maddy x Mark

Genre: Humor/Romance (aka FLUFF)

Time Taken: approx. 45 Minutes

Number Four

~ Heart ~

"Maddy! Hey, Maddy, wait up a second!" the voice called from across the marketplace, the oldest Shannon daughter glancing up in time to spot a jogging Mark Reynolds approaching. With a nervous smile, she waited for him to reach her, shifting her basket filled with groceries from one arm to the other.

"Maddy! Hey, I'm glad I caught up with you." he said, falling into step with the young women as they headed down a path which would eventually take them to the Shannon household.

"You are?" she said with almost to much hope and surprise in her voice, eyes quickly averting down to stare at the gravel path as they walked. For a moment there was nothing but the sound of their footsteps crunching along and a muffled roar in the distance.

"So, I wanted to show you this." he said finally, eyeing his surroundings as if to be sure no one was watching, before lifting a hand from his pocket with a small black device clenched between the fingers. At a closer inspection, Maddy could tell that it was a UBS port, small and compact, able to hold a great deal of information. The make and date printed in microscopic writing on one side clearly labeled it as being an item from 2149. Something from Maddy's past, and hopefully, not Terra Nova's future.

"Where did you get this from? What's on it?" she asked, curiosity dripping from her words. She'd grown so accustom to the world of Terra Nova in the few short weeks they'd been here, and 2149 was already a thing of the past. She much preferred her journals and pencils to her data pad, though that was quite useful in itself.

"This, my unknowing Maddy, holds three and a half minutes of true, good music." he stated matter-of-factly. "It's a song from 2011. I know a guy that got it for me for a good deal." he said with a mysterious smirk, though she could almost sense an uneasy air about him. Why was he nervous?

"I wanted to play it for you." he said after another long pause, eyeing her carefully.

"Sure." Maddy replied brightly. Within a few minutes, they were climbing up the steps leading to Maddy's house. She unlocked the door and stood aside, allowing him entrance. With a small thank you, the soldier entered, Maddy following close behind.

Maddy stepped into her room and grabbed her data pad from the bedside table, returning to the living area where Mark stood, rocking back on his heels. "Here you are." she said, handing him the device.

Mark nodded in thanks, inserting the UBS and quickly pulling up the old file. With a small smile, his eyes trailed up from the screen to glance at her. "For you." and in the next moment, the music filled the air as the ancient, or was it futuristic, song played.

My heart's a stereoIt beats for you, so listen closeHear my thoughts in every noteMake me your radioAnd turn me up when you feel lowThis melody was meant for youJust sing along to my stereo

The beat picked up, and a string of words that Maddy almost missed sung in her ears. She listened intently, a neutral expression on her face as she concentrated on the words.

I think I finally found a note to make you understandIf you can hit it, sing along and take me by the handJust keep me stuck inside your head, like your favorite tuneYou know my heart's a stereo that only plays for you

The wording, the melody, it was beautiful in a very different sort of way. She can't help but feel slightly confused. The notes faded away as the song ended, and Mark looked at her with a smile on his face.

"Well?" Mark asked expectedly. "What did you think?"

Maddy looked at the man who seemed quite excited, the emotion filling his eyes as they darted away from her in embarrassment. She tilted her head slightly, a frown on her face.

"Maddy?" he says, catching her attention. He lifts a hand to scratch the back of his neck, and she really cannot place what is happening. Mark steps towards her, taking her hands in his. "Maddy?"

She looked up at him, a small smile crossing her face. "Mark, how can a heart be a stereo, that's impossible."

Mark groaned, shaking his head. "Maddy, it's a song, it was jus-"

"No. A stereo is a type of device that plays music back in the twenty-first century. So how is your heart a stereo, Mark? I don't understand."

Mark just smiled, shaking his head ever so slightly. "Oh, my Maddy." he signed.

"What?" she said, more confused than ever.

Annnnd, here is my very late update! Some Mark and Maddy fluff, because the plot bunnies made me! School gets in the way of everything, let me tell you. Please bear with me. Anywho, hopefully going to try and get some Chrismas drabbles added into this, so look forward to that. I'm also working on updating the word list. Happy reading!