George dumped the saddle bag onto their bed, Alanna throwing her other one down beside it. "Hello, me beauty," he said, gathering her into his arms. "I missed ye."

"I missed you too." She smiled up at him. "I'm glad to be home."

He kissed her in reply, and she responded just as enthusiastically. It wasn't until she found herself on the bed that she protested.

"George, not yet. I'm filthy."

His eyes travelled down the length of her dirt-covered body and back up to meet her violet eyes. "I don't mind." He pulled the collar of her shirt to the side and pressed a kiss to her collarbone, but his wife sat back up.

"Well, I do. I feel revolting. I don't even want to think about how long it's been since I last bathed."

"How about I go and roll in some mud, and then we'll both be dirty?"

She grinned. "No thanks." Wriggling onto his lap, she added "It's just a bath, and then I'm yours. How about you go and get some food from the cooks? Then we won't even have to leave the room to have dinner."

"No," he answered. "I'd rather bathe with ye."

"No," she protested with a grin. "When you're in the bath with me, I never actually end up getting much cleaner."

"Ye mean ye want to wallow in there."

"I mean I want to relax and get myself clean."

"Exactly. Wallowin'." He fixed her with his most pitiful look. "What's the point in havin' a husband if ye're not even goin' t' let him wash yer back?"

She laughed. "Not working. If that's all you're good for, maybe I should get rid of you." She disentangled herself from his arms and climbed back off his lap. He gave her a light swat on the rump and chuckled as she squeaked and jumped. Her attempt at a glare was lost as she joined in his laughter.

"I'll get you for that," she told him.

He gave an overly dramatic gasp. "I'm terrified."

"You should be," she replied as she headed for the bathroom. "I'm staying in here for twice as long now."

He scowled as the bathroom door shut. "How's that fair?"

When she finally emerged, George was waiting on the bed, a tray of food on the table beside him. He had to admit to himself that she did look a lot cleaner, her skin pink from scrubbing, and her wet hair looking smoother. He didn't mind that she was only wrapped in a towel either.

"Took ye long enough." In actual fact, it had taken him most of that time to prepare the food, and he'd only just finished unpacking her saddlebags, but he couldn't let her get away with shutting him out that easily.

She smirked at him in reply, and bent over the chest, rummaging around to find the clothes she wanted.

"You need to pull your towel down," he told her. "I can see everything."

"No-one's forcing you to look," she answered. She straightened and turned around, and then deliberately wriggled the towel down her body. It covered more of her thighs now, but came dangerously low at the top. "Much better," she said, satisfied.

She turned around and bent over the chest again, grinning to herself. She was listening for his footsteps behind her, but wasn't particularly surprised when she felt his hands on her waist. George was good at sneaking like that. In one swift movement, the towel was pulled off her and she was landing on the bed.

She grinned up at him, violet eyes sparkling. "Took you long enough."

George kissed her thoroughly and grinned back. "Welcome home, lass."