Terra Nova fic for the Christmas Challenge! 
Title: The Rules
Character/Pairing: Jim Shannon, Mark Reynolds, and Commander Taylor (discussion of Reynolds x Maddy)
Time Frame: future!fic. Roughly two years in the future.
Scenario:Stef's prompt: The men go fishing as a way to bond, hijinks ensue. Josh can go too, but that's up to the writer.

Rating: PG
Warning(s): None
Spoilers: None

“Zoe, get your bag. You’re going to be late.” Maddy said. “You’ll be walking yourself to school if you don’t hurry. I have to be at work in 10 minutes.”

“I’m coming, I’m coming.” Zoe lazily slid her shoes on her feet, Maddy’s nagging seeming to have no effect on her. “Whose idea was it to start school at eight? That’s too early.”

“It’s payback for all those times you woke us up before the sun,” Jim teased as he gathered his things. “Alright, you’re mom will be done with her shift around dinner so Zoe, you walk to the science building when school is out. You can do your homework there until Maddy finishes.”

“And then I’ll drop her off with mom,” Maddy added.

“What are you doing tonight?” he asked.

“Mark will be back.”

“Uh, not tonight, well, actually,” Jim stalled. “He’ll be back late. Too late, you should plan on seeing him tomorrow instead.”

“No, he said they’d be back by 1700,” Maddy said stuffing a brightly colored fruit in her bag.

“Yeah, the schedule changed, Taylor said there was a delay.”

“What kind of delay?” she asked concerned.

“He didn’t get specific,” Jim lied. Thankfully Maddy was late and didn’t have time to question him further.

“Alright, well, have fun today, Dad,” she said hugging him.

“You, too. Love you, girls,” he said with a kiss to each of their heads.

In the rover, Jim and Taylor discussed setting up a sports league, chatted about the work Malcolm was doing in motorizing more of the harvest work, they even discussed the oncoming baby boom that was obviously due to the week long power outage a six months ago.

They rolled up to Outpost 8 as a group of soldiers were packing up the rovers to return to the colony. Jim hopped out of the vehicle and spotted what he and Taylor had come for.

“Reynolds,” he hollered. A perplexed Reynolds jogged toward him.

“Mr. Shannon? Is everything all right? Is Maddy okay?” Jim rolled his eyes. It would figure the kid would go straight to that.

“She’s fine. Everything is fine.” The younger man seemed to relax at the information. “Get your stuff, you aren’t going back with your guys. You’re coming with me and the Commander.” Reynolds raised his eyebrows and Jim gestured to the universally recognized Command rover.

“Alright, I’ll get my bag.”

If the ride to Outpost 8 was comfortable, the drive out to the sea cliffs was the opposite. But that was part of the plan. The goal was to make Reynolds nervous. Glancing in the mirror back at him, Jim could see it was working.

Once Taylor parked, he and Jim turned to the anxious young man in the back. “You ever been fishing, kid?” Taylor asked with a grin.

The two older men set up chairs and got out the poles as Reynolds was tasked with the stringing the lines. It was clear he’d never done it before, but as with the other changes in his day, he went with the flow.

Jim grudgingly admitted he liked that about the kid: he was easy going and did as he was told. Maybe he could ask Taylor how to get such actions out of Josh. Not that it mattered these days with Josh out of the house.

“So, don’t you want to ask why we collected you for this little outing?” Jim asked when they were all settled into their chairs with their lines out.

“A good soldier doesn’t ask,” Taylor joked and Reynolds shrugged. “See, he’s just going to await his fate. Good man.”

“Well, I’m gonna tell you.” Jim said with a grin. “This is your briefing on the Rules.”

“I’m sorry?” Reynolds asked, even more confused than before.

“I’m not an idiot. I know Maddy’s birthday was last week. I’m surprised you haven’t gone yammering on about your intentions yet. You’re a man.  I know your intentions and they aren’t good.” Taylor chuckled and Reynolds gulped. “So, the rules,” Jim said getting down to business.

Taylor yanked a bit on his line and the other two men looked to him. He shook his head and gestured for Jim to continue.

“Right, first rule: you will never call me Jim. Ever. I don’t care if you father my grandchildren.” Reynolds choked and Jim appreciated the way he turned a bright shade of red. “Not any time soon of course, at least, what do you think, 10, 15 years from now?” He turned to Taylor.

“Seems perfect,” the older man agreed. Reynolds just shrunk in his chair.

“Right, so you will never call me Jim. Don’t listen to a single thing my wife suggests. Never call me Jim. You got the first rule?” Reynolds nodded his head. “Why don’t you repeat that back to me, kid?”

“Never call you Jim, ever. Never,” Reynolds answered

“Right. Second rule,” Jim continued. “Speaking of Elisabeth, you will not ever flirt with my wife.”

“What?” Reynolds asked in a high pitch that Jim would have to remember to tease him about at a later date. Taylor let out a full belly laugh.

“That goes for you, too, Commander. Come Christmas she gets a little tipsy and when she gets tipsy she gets handsy.” Jim turned back to Reynolds. “She happens to find you to be some kind of adorable that I don’t understand so just no. Any reciprocation will get you shot.” The poor kid seemed to be sweating a bit.

“Repeat it back to me,” Jim said sternly.

“No flirting with Mrs. Shannon.”

“Doctor Shannon,” he corrected. “She went to school a long time and paid a lot of money to gain that title. Use it.” Reynolds nodded in understanding.

“Now, rule number three, the women in our family are not to be domesticated.” Jim leveled the younger man with a serious look. Up until this point the rules were meant to make him nervous. Meant to intimidate. But this was something Jim was very concerned about. Maddy was young and she had a flare for the domestic arts. She’d picked up a lot of the slack when he was in prison, she helped out around the house far more than Josh ever thought of and Maddy never hesitated to help Zoe when needed. It was a blessing to have her and that she was so willing to help. But Jim worried that she might think these things were necessary when she was married. Sure, she would need to do those basic things, but he didn’t want her to feel obligated to make it her life’s work.

“She’s independent, she’s intelligent beyond you or I, and she will accomplish whatever goals she has in life. You will not hinder that in any way.”

“Why would anyone think that?” Taylor asked concerned.

“I heard some men in the motor pool talking,” Jim answered. “Just shooting the shit I’m sure, but I wanted to make sure that Reynolds here, was aware that was not acceptable.”

“Sounds like I need to get Wash to give a class about this,” Taylor said while stroking his beard. “Women are not house cats.”

“I would never expect anything like that from Maddy. She’s brilliant and I know she wants to do so much,” Reynolds said, his nerves suddenly calmed and his voice full of conviction. Jim nodded his acceptance.

“Finally,” Jim looked to his rod before continuing. “Don’t ask me for permission to marry my daughter. You’ve beaten that horse into an early grave.”

“Way to mix those metaphors, Shannon,” Taylor said with a shake of his head and a rough chuckle.  

“Best way I know how to put it,” he replied tersely. “The person you ask is Maddy. But don’t just ask her. I know it’s like that in novels and films, but don’t do that. Especially if you plan on asking soon. See, this is the sort of thing a couple needs to talk about. You don’t just pop the question without discussing things first. See if she’s ready, see if you’re ready.

‘I know there’s paperwork you have to route up your chain of command” he nodded towards Taylor. “Things you have to do to even get married, so discuss all that. Talk about how many kids you want to have,” here Reynolds turned a bit green. And Jim smiled wide. “You don’t just ask her to marry you. Discuss it like adults in a healthy relationship…I assume you have a healthy relationship…” the tone left no chance that Reynolds would reply with anything but a quick nod of his head and some mumbling about proper manners.

“Alright, that concludes the current list of rules.” At Reynolds’ curious look Jim explained. “I can add or amend rules as I see fit.”

“Copy that,” Reynolds replied.

“So when you gonna ask her, son?” Taylor questioned after reaching over to adjust some line on Reynolds’ pole.

“After we discuss it, sir” he answered with military cadence. Jim nodded his approval before breaking out into a wide grin. He stood quickly though with the pull of something strong on his line. Jim knew what was coming this time so he spread his feet and braced his body to reel the fish in. Pulling with all his might he managed to lift the fish, which was at least the size of Zoe, up to the bluff.

“Ever cleaned a fish, Reynolds?”