Disclaimer: Why! Oh why!! It's not mine! (kicks wall) Why!!

"Hot!" She hissed as he tugged her under the water with a splash.

"Well cold water wasn't going to help your muscles relax any." Cain grunted as he held her against his chest. She wasn't exactly comfortable being naked in the bath with Wyatt but he wasn't showing any signs of embarrassment over the situation and, well, she didn't mind being pressed against him like this.

"Agreed but you don't need to boil us. Princess and Tin Man soup should not go on the menu tonight." He snorted leaning his head back over the edge of the tub.

"You'll adjust if you stop fidgeting." She huffed skeptically but didn't want to get out of the water before she cleaned up. Her legs were more than just sticky. She scrunched her nose at the sight. Cain opened one blue eye to regard her reaching for a washcloth and soap as she flinched slightly. "Are you sore?"

"Not really." She lathered up the cloth before he sat up snatching it away from her.

"Liar." He stated good naturedly running the soapy cloth over her legs carefully. She rolled her eyes at him in annoyance. "You are so bad at that."

"Fine! I'm sore! Are you freaking happy now?"

He kissed her temple lovingly. "I'm sorry, Sweetheart. It won't last long." It was hard to stay mad at him when he was making her body tingle so nicely. And after he'd made her see stars and then run them a bath. Twisting in his lap she ran her fingers through his hair smiling when she got it to stand up in strange spiky patterns. Crossing his eyes he tried to see what she found so funny. She began to giggle at his expression and he looked back at her raising his scared eyebrow. "Do I mess up your hair?"

She grinned at him. "Nope. But if you did I'd have to set you on fire. I bet I could do that now." He stared at her for a second before he burst into laughter.

Pecking a kiss against his lips she straddled him tilting her head as his laughter died down to soft chuckles. She did love when he laughed. "You happy, Tin Man?" This seemed to be terribly important to her at this moment.

He hummed a smile playing over his lips as he wrapped his arms loosely around her waist under the hot water. "I'm usually happy when I'm with you."

"Only usually huh?"

He smirked but continued running his hand around her waist to the inside of her thigh brushing his lips over hers. "But right now I'm very happy." Sighing she wrapped her arms around his neck laying her head against his shoulder. He leaned back again stretching out with her draped across his chest. Hand running lightly over her back they stayed in the bath until the water cooled. She was nearly asleep when he shook her shoulder and kicked the plug out of the drain with his toe. "Don't you know it's dangerous to fall asleep in the water?"

Turning her head so she could rub it against his neck she mumbled, "Shhhhh, I don't need my floatation devise giving me safety lectures. You're ruining my nap."

He snorted reaching over the side of the tub for a towel as the water ebbed away. "Why can't you nap in a bed like a normal person?"

Yawning she made no effort to move as he started to sit up. "You're the one that put me in here."

He sighed in exasperation. "And now I can't seem to get you out."

"You're very needy you know." He let the towel fall over her head. She giggled sitting up and pulling the towel down around her chest wrapping it firmly around her body. He was sitting with one arm on the side of the tub his fingers taping against the rim as he mock glared at her. "Can I help you?" She asked sweetly.

The Tin Man leaned forward until he was inches away from her face his blue eyes boring into hers. She fought back a wave of uneasiness at his sudden intense cop gaze plastering an innocent smile on her face. "Would you get out of the bathtub now, Darlin?" While he may have framed this as a question it didn't exactly come out that way.

"And what do I get if I get out?" She was enjoying this far too much for words to express. His eyes were doing strange things to her body sending shots of adrenaline through her.

His eyes flashed with interest at the question a smirk forming. "I guess you won't find out unless you get up." Heating up at the low growl he emitted she stood slowly and stepped out holding the towel against her body. The Tin Man was out right behind her and seeing the closest thing to mischief she had ever seen in his blue eyes she threw a smile over her shoulder and dashed out of the bathroom.

"Get back here!" Really after chasing her around the Outer Zone he should have realized that wasn't going to happen. She giggled as she made it into the bedroom amazed she had gotten so far when she was limping slightly until two arms caught her around the middle and dragged her back until they both tumbled onto the bed. Taking hold of the top of the towel he dragged it away from her body as he nipped at her shoulder rolling on top of her. "Did you think I was going to let you get away?"

Gasping as he ran the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip he considered her seriously. Her tongue darted out to run over his thumb and his eyes darkened. Reaching down between her legs he brushed the inside of her thighs lightly. The unexpected touch made her hiss in pain. It felt like he'd hit a particularly sensitive bruise. He sighed getting off of her carefully. "Looks like we're both going to have to be patient for a few hours. I don't want to hurt you."

Sighing she sat up wrapping her arms around his neck so he was forced to drag her up as he went. "You won't hurt me." Treading her fingers in his hair she began to kiss under his jaw. Besides it had hurt at first last time but she rather thought the end had made up for it.

His hands wrapped convulsively around her waist before he pushed her gently away. "You're right because we're getting dressed." She pouted as he stepped away from her snatching his pants from the floor where they'd fallen. "Don't pull out the eyes! It's not going to work."

She sighed giving up. She should have known better than to try to get the Tin Man to do anything that might end with her even more bruised than when they started. She figured last time was going to be an exception to the rule. "Fine I'll leave you alone, Killjoy." His eyebrow arched at that but she pressed on hoping she could stop him from putting his shirt on. She stretched out on the bed pulling the pillow under her chin as she lay on her stomach. "I don't see why we have to get dressed though."

His eyes darkened and she congratulated herself for her devious nature. She was well aware of the picture she was making sprawled out on the bed they had so recently made love in covered in nothing but some rumpled blankets. He shook his head snapping out of his slight daze as he searched for his shirt. She frowned spotting it on the bed next to her. When he turned his back she tucked it under the pillow suppressing a maniacal giggle.

"Have you seen my shirt?" He had found his vest and holster, not to mention her clothes and set them on the bed next to her. She eyed them as if they were snakes.

"I've seen all your shirts, Cain." Ha! All about the wording! You know maybe if she did turn them into snakes and one bit her the Tin Man would be forced to suck out the poison. Sure, it seemed a bit extreme but given the circumstances, but she was willing to give it a-

"DG?" Her eyes went back up to his.

"Huh?"

He was eyeing her suspiciously. Ok there was no way he could actually read her mind was there? He crouched down in front of her. "My shirt?"

She could dance around this for a while she was sure. "What about it?"

His lip twitched. "Do you know where it is?"

"I don't know. What's it look like?"

"Considering you practically ripped it off me a little over an hour ago I thought you might remember."

She put on a fake sad face. "You know I have a problem with my memory. It hurts me that you would bring something like that up."

She could tell he was fighting the urge to either laugh or strangle her. He decided on a third option, which kinda made her nervous. It was way disconcerting when he used sarcasm. "You're right that was wrong of me." She shifted slightly letting her leg arch up over her back in an innocent manner. He ignored the gesture and she cursed internally really thinking that that should have worked. It always worked in stories. Unfortunately when she shifted a corner of the shirt was exposed. His eyes zeroed in on it and she flopped back down before he could snatch it. He rolled his eyes. "Give it here."

"Nope! Finder's Keeper's! My shirt now!"

"DG!" He laughed softly reaching under the pillow and getting the goods. "I like this shirt you know." She laid her head on her arms defeated as he threw it on. "You did make it for me." Leaning back over her he kissed her check before he whispered in her ear. "I have a hard enough time not touching you when all our clothes are on, Sweetheart. Besides we have to leave to eat. I don't think you want to do that without a shirt."

She closed her eyes and sighed. "I don't want to go downstairs. You know they'll be waiting." She didn't want another verbal battle in the dinning hall. "Besides I'm all limpy." And people were going to work that one out.

"Limpy?"

She sighed reaching for her own shirt. "You're the one that said we had to be all proper about this. I don't think anyone seeing me wincing when I sit down is going to have any doubts about what's going on." A thought struck her suddenly as the fabric settled over her torso. Oh fuck.

Cain who had been considering this noticed the sudden worry on her face. "What?"

She grabbed her panties shimming into them quickly. "Ummm…" She had no idea how to put this. She grabbed her pants shoving her legs in them equally fast her eyes darting to the Tin Man. "What are you going to tell Jeb?" She was pretty sure the promise she had made him hadn't involved his father courting her.

He raised his eyebrow. "Jeb is aware of the situation, DG."

She looked at him blankly. "Don't you think one of us should tell him you're courting me?" There was no way she could keep this up if it was going to drive some kind of wedge between the two. Her stomach clenched at the thought. Why did she always have to be so impulsive? She grabbed the emerald off the nightstand quickly.

"He already knows."

She let the chain fall over her neck glancing back over at him. "He knows? How does he know? You can't just let the rumors inform him. Seriously, one of us should tell him in person." And she told Jeb asking his father about Anna would be uncomfortable. She thought this had it beat hands down.

Cain rolled his eyes. "I already told him." At her questioning look he elaborated with a smug smirk. "I told him after you tried to eat me."

"I didn't try to eat you! Let it go already!" Then her eyebrows came together. "That was before you said anything to me." Or you know kissed her senseless.

He grunted as he put on his duster. "And yet you still haven't told me what you were going to do."

And she wasn't going to. "Jeb isn't angry?"

"No, Sweetheart. He wasn't even surprised." His lips twitched. "In fact he told me I better be good to you. How'd you get him so protective of you so fast?"

At least that would prevent a few problems they didn't need. "No idea." She responded weakly.

He watched her move carefully as she headed to her boots that she had tossed next to the fireplace. "I don't think anyone will notice anything, DG. Especially with the way you've been running yourself down at your lessons." She heard a measure of frustrated pride in his voice over her stubborn persistence.

She wasn't sure he was right about that but her stomach was starting to remind her that she hadn't eaten in a while. She braced herself for familial impact as the Tin Man held out his hand to her. Taking it he squeezed leading her out of the room. "Don't worry I don't think they'll bother you anymore tonight. We're eating with Jeb and Raw at any rate."

She relaxed slightly running her thumb over his finger in thanks. "Do I want to know what you three were yelling about after I turned tail and ran?" Admittedly not her proudest moment.

He growled low in his throat. "I don't think you really do."

She bit her lip as guilt began to gnaw at her. "You shouldn't be getting in fights with them over me."

He stopped right before the outer doors and turned her. "Yes, I should be." His eyes were flashing oddly. "It's about time you let someone stand up for you for a change."

She stared at him taken aback. "You always stand up for me. You came after me when I was locked in the Tower. This is different though." These were more than her parents; they were the royal couple. She had a feeling they could make life unpleasant for him if they tried.

"It is." He pushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "You don't know how to fight this. You can't use a stick."

"Always going after the stick aren't you?" She asked quietly pressing her face into his hand.

"Can't seem to figure out how you keep winnin with it is all." She smiled and his hand strayed down her neck. "You can fight Longcoats and Witches no problem, Darlin. You're parents are a whole different game. I will help you with this."

"Yeah but it sounds so much better when you throw in talking jewelry and ruling a country. You should add that to the speech of reassurance."

He snorted softly leaning in for a tender kiss. "That wasn't reassurance it was a promise."

Closing her eyes she sighed. "You're too good to me, Wyatt."

"Treating you the way you should be treated isn't me being too good to you. Besides-" His voice lowered as he bent down and kissed her under her ear. "-as far as I'm concerned you're part of my family now. And I'm going to treat you that way and so is everyone else."

She shuddered against him and he tucked her closer to his body. That was something she hadn't expected. Cain was rarely so open about what he felt. Hell, she'd thought calling her by pet names was a near miracle. And now he'd gone and let her slide right into his life next to him without a second's hesitation. She couldn't ever recall feeling so wanted before. Everyone else had sent her away somewhere and here he was trying his best to keep her as close as possible.

"Thank you." She whispered not knowing what else to say. His blue eyes locked on hers and she thought he might understand what she was saying. Placing a quick kiss on his lips she smiled. "Ready to go?"

In response he loosened his hold on her and opened the door. Placing a hand on the small of her back he guided her out as his thumb snuck up under the hem of her shirt. Bumping him she glared. It was so mean to tease her when she couldn't jump him out in the hallway. Smirking he kept his eyes straight ahead as they walked down the stairs.

Author Note: Hit that button! Work it out! And guys I can't respond to any of you about your reviews unless you leave logged in screen name. I always appreciate comments and sometimes need clarification on what you're talking about. So be kind and let me ask you questions back!