"Stop it!"

"Why?"

"I don't like it!"

"But you're smiling. You can't say you don't like something when you're smiling--"

"Get off!" With all of the strength that she had, Lucy Barker was able to push her husband off of her and those prying fingers that loved to tickle her belly. "Now," she said, recovering from the laughter that had been forced out of her mouth, "you stay right there, Benjamin Barker, or I swear--"

"Swear to what?" Benjamin asked, an "evil" grin revealing his sharp white teeth. "It's not lady-like to swear. And it borders on the sinful." Benjamin enjoyed teasing his wife about her virtuous ways. It had nothing to do with God--he just wanted to see her face twist with shock that her own husband would say such a thing.

But today, her face was stone. She place her hands on her hips and said, "When a lady has a husband like you she has the right to do as she pleases."

"Is that so?" He said it with a playful smile, but he knew his wife well enough to know that she was going to fight back. He took a step back just in case he needed a headstart to escape.

"Yes," devious trickery hidden underneath full peach lips. "In fact…" And without a another word, Lucy ran full-speed toward her husband and knocked him over onto the ground before he could run off, the two of them landing on the wooden floor with a THUD! Before Ben could announce he was in any sort of pain, the poor man was subjected to his own medicine as his beloved wife tickled his sides, his laugh thundering throughout London.

"Hahaha! Hehe…stop…" he begged, "hehehmhm… please? Sto--Hehehahaha!"

"I won't stop until I have an apology."

"Haheheha… I will… just… pleahehehehease…haha…"

"Apology first," she demanded.

"Hehehehe… I'mmmm… so-ha… I'msorry! I'MSORRY! I'm so-ha-horry…"

The torture was over, and Lucy slipped off of him and curled by his side as a cat would when she was looking for love and affection. Benjamin continued spasming with quiet bursts of laughter for a bit until peace finally took hold of his body. He stared at the ceiling, his mouth needing to rest before looking at his wife.

"Do you feel better?" Benjamin turned to face her and noticed her smirk. Despite what she just did to him, he knew that there was no avoiding the smile that crossed over his own face simply by the thought of her existence. He lifted his weight up onto his elbow and gazed into his wife's eyes, and pressed a quick kiss to her lips.

"You are an evil woman," he said.

Lucy didn't say anything. All she did was smile and lean in for another kiss. The kiss lasted longer this time, and held all of the love and passion she had for him. When they parted for air, Lucy pressed her body against her Ben's and wrapped her arms around his middle. Benjamin began stroking her long golden hair with one hand and wrapped his unoccupied arm around her. They were perfection, the two of them. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Benjamin knew he would never be happier than he was at this time in his life. He silently swore to himself that nothing would ever come in the way of the happiness they had, and anyone who would force them apart would face the consequences. Movement against body turned him away from his dark thoughts and back to the beautiful woman in his arms.

"Is something wrong?" Lucy asked, keeping her head where it was and her eyes closed. Benjamin shook his head and buried his lips into her think head of yellow hair.

"I'm just happy. That's all."

Despite how the loud noise above her head frightened her out of her wits, Nellie envied it. She wanted someone like the man upstairs to chase her around as if she were some wench in like he did his wife. Instead he had Albert. Albert who didn't want to do anything but sit on his arse and scratch it occasionally. She practically ran the shop by herself. She did love him... in some way or another. But she would be much happier with the life that was going on upstairs...

Finis