Ward fumbled with the room key. He wasn't drunk, well he was with anticipation of what was to come. He finally managed to get the door open and turned to face his bride. She made to push past him and drag him into the room, but Ward pulled her back and kissed her. He snaked one hand around her shoulders and the other down her thigh. Before Skye knew it she was being lifted into the air and carried into their room. The second he crossed the threshold Ward kicked the door shut and set Skye back onto the ground. As soon as her feet hit the floor she pushed Ward against the door and kissed him furiously.

"Stay there." She whispered into his ear before taking two steps back from him.

Ward obeyed and then watched as Skye unfastened her dress and let it slip to the floor so that she was stood in front of him in nothing but her shoes, a lacy white bra, panties, stockings and suspender belt.

She looked at his beautiful brown eyes darkening to nearly black with desire and crashed her lips against his again, while tugging at his clothes with her hands for all she was worth.

Soon enough they were both down to their underwear and starting to drive each other wild with desire. Skye rubbed her finger around the waistband of Ward's boxers and when she made to remove the one thing that stood between her and a steamy night of passion she jumped. Music had suddenly started playing in their room.

Baby, take off your coat, real slow
Baby, take off your shoes. I'll help you take off your shoes
Baby, take off your dress. Yes, yes, yes

You can leave your hat on
You can leave your hat on
You can leave your hat on

Go over there, turn on the light. No, all the lights
Come back here, stand on the chair. Ooh, baby, that's right
Raise your arms in the air, now shake 'em

You give me reason to live
You give me reason to live
You give me reason to live
You can leave your hat on

Suspicious minds are talking. That's right, they'll tear us apart
They don't believe in this love of ours
They don't know what love is
They don't know what love is
I know what love is
You can leave your hat on
You can

"I will kill them all!" Ward grumbled.

Skye laughed and buried her head into his bare chest. It had killed the mood completely.

"Why don't we go and try out that bath?" Skye suggested, a gleam in her eye.

"Hmmm. Now that sounds like a plan, the now official, Mrs. Ward."

Skye took his hand and led him into the bathroom. She had asked Anabelle to fill the bath ready for their return to the room. Skye added some of the bubbles that had generously been left by the house and she turned the Jacuzzi jets on to make the bubbles froth, while Ward made sure that they had towels for when they got out.

Skye turned to face her husband and slowly and deliberately she unclasped her bra. Ward closed the distance between them and kissed her. He peeled her bra off her breasts and started rolling the stockings down her leg. He was using featherlight touches which were driving Skye wild. She batted his hands away and took the remainder of her clothes off herself, realising their bath would be ice cold before they got in it at this rate. While Skye was battling with the hook and eyes on the suspender belt Ward had got in the bath and settled himself so that one of the jets was massaging his back perfectly.

Skye finally divested herself of clothing and climbed into the bath so that her back was pressed against Ward's chest. They lay here for a little while, tired and sore muscles relaxing with the jets of the bath. Skye was drawing doodles on Ward's knee with her finger, moving it closer and closer up his thigh. Suddenly she stopped and turned to face him, placing her knees either side of his and sitting on his lap. He ran a hand through her hair and cheek, before running it down her neck and onto her shoulder. He was about to start circling his hands around her breasts when he noticed something.

Their skin had turned green.

"I think we better get out of this bath." Ward suggested to the disappointment of Skye. She had so much fun planned in the tub.

Ward stood up, moving Skye's legs to around his waist as he climbed out of the bath. Once he had got her stood on the bathmat with a towel around her he pointed out their skin to her.

"Oh my God! What the hell! She started shrieking, attacking her skin with the towel.

Ward took the towel off her before she turned it green and turned the shower on. They had to try and remove it somehow.

When the shower had warmed up enough he climbed in and pulled her in behind him. Slowly and methodically he helped her wash every area of her body that was green. When they had finished her skin was only had a slight hint of green to it. They then turned their attention to Ward. His skin was green with red patches. Skye helped him get as much of the green off him as she could until, like her, there was only the faintest hint of green left.

"Why the hell are we green?" Skye demanded.

"I suspect it was a joke bubblebath." Ward told her.

"Why do you think it was the bubblebath?"

"Would Anabelle not have put it in when she drew the bath if it had been with compliments of the house?"

"So who put it there?"

"I suspect that it was a joke by one of our friends."

"Well now that we aren't green anymore, why don't we take this party to the bed." Skye suggested, placing one hand around his head and pulling him in for a kiss and running the other hand down his chest and a little further.

Ward responded immediately and yet again picked up his bride. He carried her to the bed, turned around and sat on it. When he laid back to allow more intimacy, he and Skye fell through the bed.

"Gaahh!" Skye screamed as she landed on him.

After they had fought their way out of the huge hole in the middle of the bed they pulled the bed covers off and dumped them on the floor to inspect the bed. The mattress had been replaced with one that had had the centre of it cut out.

"I know what this is." Ward told her.

"What is it?" Skye asked. She had no idea why the mattress had a hole cut into it.

"Shivaree."

"Shiverwho?"

"Shivaree. It's a custom, especially in the southern US that on their wedding night the bride and groom are prevented from consummating their marriage by a number of noises and practical jokes." Ward explained.

"That explains the music."

"And the green bath."

"And the hole in the mattress."

"It also means this could be a long night." Ward concluded.

Knowing there was no way possible to sleep in the bed, Ward and Skye spread the bedcovers on the floor in front of the fireplace. To try and rekindle some of what was lost due to the pranks Ward lit the fire and let the heat and glow flow over him.

They laid in front of the fire talking and touching each other for the best part of an hour before the strokes to each other's bodies became too torturous to contain any longer.

Ward kissed Skye and pushed her onto her back. He ran his hand from her shoulder, down her naked body, and he stopped when he felt her heat. He followed his hands with his mouth, but bit down lightly on each of her nipples before moving on. He kissed down her waist and carried onto her thighs. He nuzzled the top inside of her thigh, which made Skye gasp in appreciation. He was so close to where she needed him to be she started shaking, but he just continued to move down her leg. When he got to her knee he felt something hit him on the side of his leg.

"Not again!" Ward groaned, looking up from Skye to find what had hit him. He suddenly saw a flash of something scurrying under the bed. He got to his feet and leaving Skye breathless and shaking he silently crept to the door. He put his ear to the door to see who was on the other side of it.

He heard a soft curse and smiled to himself.

He made his way back over to Skye and covered her with the blanket. He then put his trousers and shirt back on and headed for the window.

Ward opened the window and climbed out. He bouldered his way to the next room, which he knew was occupied by Tilly. He also knew he would not disturb her as she was currently outside his room controlling the remote control car that had hit him on the leg. He climbed in through Tilly's window and sneaked out of her door and up behind her.

"What the Hell are you doing?" Ward asked his sister, startling her. She screamed and dropped the remote control and spun to face him.

"Hi!" she said to him, a little too brightly.

"Hi."

"Shouldn't you be giving your wife the ride of her life?" Tilly asked him.

"Not when you are trying to attack me with a toy."

"That wasn't me."

"Really?"

"Why would I attack you with a toy car?" Tilly asked, clamping her hand over her mouth when she realised she had said too much.

"Go to bed Tilly." He told her, knocking on his door so Skye could let him back in.

The first thing he did was locate the car. Ward was going to disconnect the battery, but Skye took it off him and set it out in the hall.

When Skye turned around she saw Ward doing the most peculiar thing. He was scratching his back using one of the posts on the bed.

"You ok?

"Hm? Yeah. Allll good." Ward replied, clearly getting some relief from the post.

Skye walked up to him and undid his shirt. She slid it off his shoulders as Ward moved his scratching to his waist.

Skye took one look at him, pulled the robe off the end of the bed and headed for the door.