JENNA: * It only takes a couple more days of reading to get through the book, and their comprehension is considerably higher than the last time, granting them an air of confidence when they finally reach Mackenzie's opulent hermitage. Jo is, unsurprisingly, less than thrilled once they are finally there, but she rings the doorbell without complaint, forcing herself to take an expression of neutrality.

JUSTIN: * Shane gives Jo a look out of the side of his eyes, nervous as he always is when they darken Mackenzie's doorstep. One of these days, he expects it to end in bloodshed, and her neutral mask does little to comfort this worry. It doesn't take long for the door to finally crack open, and the man inside looks vaguely surprised, though the expression vanishes as quickly as it came. "I wasn't expecting you for another few days," is his unnecessary explanation, but he opens the door the rest of the way and steps aside to allow them entrance. "You read the book, I hope."

JENNA: "Wouldn't be here if we hadn't," Jo says flatly, glancing at Shane to hand the book over to him. "Hope it's accurate. Jawaii's not my favorite place to visit." The idea of returning, in fact, has her torn between laughter and banging her head repeatedly against a wall.

JUSTIN: * Shane does as indicated, handing the book over to the other man, who only glances at him with distracted disinterest before taking it. Mackenzie tucks the book away in a pocket of his coat, then starts in the usual direction, expecting them to follow whether he tells them to or not. "If Jawaii gives you more pause than the bowels of an ancient tomb, then perhaps my initial assessment of your refinement was more accurate than you give me credit for."

JENNA: * Jo stalks after him, expression disgusted. "You ever been there?" she asks sourly, glancing without interest at the house and its trappings. Somehow she's lost interest in stealing something to make a point, but habit dictates her taking stock of it anyway. "Not to imply I like Morroc any better." Given the choice, however, she isn't sure which would be worse.

JUSTIN: "I've been everywhere," Mackenzie says with obvious dismissal of the matter, mounting the stairs to his upstairs study. "What you're looking for is not in the middle of the resort, anyway, as you should already know. If you'd prefer to sleep in the jungle, that is entirely your choice." He opens the door and makes straight for his desk, slipping the book out of his pocket and dropping it with a soft thump. Shane idly wonders why he lets Jo do all the talking.

JENNA: "Yeah, right," Jo says flatly. "A bed beats dirt, even if it is covered in lace and taffeta and shaped like a heart." She folds her arms and leans against the wall near the door, as is her custom, watching him darkly. "But if that's what floats your boat ..." She yawns, shifting, and waits for further insults and instructions.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie ignores her reply to the point of almost seeming like he didn't hear it, digging through his files until he pulls out the piece of paper her was looking for. He sets his spectacles on the edge of his nose to give it a quick skim, then tucks them back into his chest pocket before waving for them to come closer. "Nobody, including myself, has done a very thorough investigation of the island, because none was ever considered to return results. As such, I can't be positive of what you will find, only that it will be related to the tribal culture as detailed in the book." He places the paper down on the desk -- a contract -- before continuing. "I don't need you to bring back every little trinket you find, so do be discerning in your choices."

JENNA: "We'll do our best to find a souvenir worthy of your attention," Jo says, voice dripping, and waits for Shane to go and tend to the contract, as there's not much she can do with it. Given the level of construction inflicted on Jawaii, she would be surprised if anything from that ancient culture remained, but a job's a job, and idleness was once again beginning to make her restless.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie grunts quietly, eyeing them with some impatience until Shane finally reaches the desk and scribbles out his signature. Mackenzie swipes the paper away almost before the pen has even left it, and quickly transfers it to one of the drawers. "As curious as I would be to see what your judgment turns up, I'll be sending you along with this--" He heads across the room to a small chest of drawers and returns with a small, dark wooden box. "It's an Asgardian crystal. I have only two in my possession, and they are neither easy to find nor cheap to purchase. They are mere left overs from an age long past, hardly worthy of consideration next to rarer artifacts, but they have served me well in my travels." He pauses, hesitating to hand the box over to Shane. "I am giving you this only because I simply do not have the time to go myself, but if you lose it, I will personally take payment out of your hides, do you understand me?"

JENNA: * Jo gives him a slightly skeptical look, walking up to join Shane and peering at the box with interest. "Relax, we won't hawk it at the nearest bazaar. And I'm not much interested in getting skinned, either." She /is/ interested in what the hell they're supposed to do with it, but she doesn't bother asking, assuming he'll explain -- if nothing else because he appears to enjoy the sound of his own voice.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie reluctantly places the box down in front of them and unlatches it, opening it to reveal a perfect, tetragonal crystal of a clear sky blue. It seems to refract all incoming light in a peculiar manner, giving it an almost glowing sheen. "One can only assume they are far more plentiful in Asgard, and likely not of great value. In Midgard, however, their unique properties are useful in detecting magical energy." He picks up the crystal and holds out his other hand, summoning a weak enchantment of dancing, sparkling lights. Almost immediately, the crystal's inner glow intensifies, although only mildly. "There is a layer of latent magic that permeates the entire world, and that is what causes the constant glow inside the crystal. The more concentrated the magic, the brighter it glows. It will help you determine if something that seems mundane is in fact enchanted." He places the crystal back in the box, latches it, and slides it across the desk toward the pair.

JENNA: * Jo scoops the box up and peers at it again, nodding briefly and resisting a strong impulse to call the thing a 'magic detector' just to piss the man off. "Gotcha," is all she says, tucking the box under her arm. "Anything else?" she asks mildly, hoping he will leave them to go on their way instead of subjecting them to another lecture.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie watches the box more than he watches the one carrying it, and he has to fight the urge to rip it out of her hold and tell them to forget about it. "No," he finally looks up to match her eyes, and looks distinctly more unfriendly. "By now, I should think you know the results I expect. Just be quick about it, I don't have months to wait on results."

JENNA: "Yeah, yeah," Jo mutters, turning away the desk and shaking her head. She assumes, at least, that they are now free to go. "We'll be back, provided we don't shipwreck." Aside from the loss of the crystal and whatever artifacts they recover, he probably thinks that would be preferable, in her mind.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie gives an understated snort, eyes flicking to the box again before he regains control of them. "If you do and you lose my things, I'll find a way to make you regret it." He sits down in his chair and leans back with a silent sigh, rubbing at his tired eyes and wondering just how he's going to keep from worrying about his artifact the entire time they're gone. Shane closes the door behind them before Jo can have a chance to retort, and he gives her another long, sideways glance with a slight frown.

JENNA: "Doubt he can do anything to us if we're drowned," Jo mutters, shaking her head and starting away. "Hope there's a good wind if he wants us back before a couple of months," she adds after a moment, swearing under her breath as they head to the door. "But at least there aren't any gang wars in Jawaii ..."

JUSTIN: * Shane trots down the stairs beside her, letting her take the lead again once they're at the bottom. "Lots of frilly, puffy distractions, though. Good thing we don't have to work in the resort." Once they're outside, he immediately gets himself back into the saddle of his new, improved, and much more polite peco. "And at least we won't have to worry about running out of supplies. We barely got through our trip to Morroc, helped none at all by the fact we couldn't resupply in the city."

JENNA: "And it's the start of the tourist season," Jo mourns, realizing once again that summer is well on its way. "I hope we can even book passage ..." She swings aboard her own peco and sighs. "Hugel and Izlude, then, I guess," she says, turning the bird toward the road. "What a nightmare."

JUSTIN: * Shane tuts quietly, bringing his peco up alongside hers. "Oh, it could be worse. Besides, you could have declined the job if you were really that set against it." He sits in thought for a second, then smirks and leans over in his saddle to slip his arm around her shoulders. "Besides, we get to pretend we're on our honeymoon. Won't that be fun?"

JENNA: "I doubt I'll be able to keep a straight face once we get to our room ..." She laughs weakly, pushing the peco into a faster trot. If they're going to make their deadline, they'll have to move fast. With help from the better-trained birds, they make the trip back to Hugel in record time, leaving the animals at their home and going by boat to Izlude and from there to Jawaii. The cruise is crowded, as Jo suspected it would be, and they are lucky to get passage at all for that month. By the time they land at the resort, however, Jo is beginning to wonder if it was worth the effort.

JUSTIN: * Shane takes a deep breath of the fresh, island air -- mostly for the sake of annoying Jo -- before he slips his arm around hers and starts down the ramp amidst the bustle of young couples eager to get aground. "At least we didn't arrive on a floating plank of wood this time, right, Jo?"

JENNA: "I admit I was out for most of that," Jo mutters, watching the couples move past with contempt, "but the waking up wasn't much fun, so I'm inclined to agree." She glances ahead, where several couples are being directed to their cabins. "Hope we're somewhere isolated," she says, tugging Shane toward the reception desk.

JUSTIN: * Shane grins a little, amused by Jo's crankiness. He can't say he's any happier to be here than she is, but at least he doesn't seem to be nearly as allergic to it as she is. "They probably reserve the isolated cabins for the extra noisy couples." He tries to keep their movement looking natural, though Jo's tugging and dour demeanor don't do much to benefit his efforts.

JENNA: * The receptionist has a smile ready as they approach. "Hi! Having trouble finding your cabin?" she asks immediately, and Jo looks at her silently for a moment before giving up and nodding. She does, however, glance at Shane, since he has the papework and the ability to read it.

JUSTIN: * Shane gives Jo an appropriately theatrical kiss to the cheek before stepping up to the desk to handle things. "Yes, my..." he glances over at Jo with a mischievous gleam in his eyes, "wife and I were wondering if we had to register for one of the more private cabins ahead of time, or if rooms were negotiable."

JENNA: * The receptionist looks doubtful. "Well, let me see your cabin number ... if we have one open, you can change, but there's a fee for that --" Jo nudges him irritably. "Never mind.. let's just go with what we've got." The receptionist pauses, looking relieved at her statement, as the island is crowded, and there probably aren't /any/ cabins free.

JUSTIN: * Shane sighs, turning Jo a dishonestly sad look, but he shrugs his shoulders and places their registration papers on the desk. "Cabin number thirty-seven... I'm not sure what the layout of the resort is like. Are there maps available?"

JENNA: * The receptionist's expression becomes momentarily pained, but she immediately supplies the information he asks for. "Maps are right here, of course, sir," she says, handing one over, and Jo snags it before he can, pulling him away from the desk. "Let's just go."

JUSTIN: * Shane barely has time to snatch up their papers before he's hauled off, and he stuffs it into his coat pocket with a slight look of indignance. "I was just trying to get directions, Jo." He tries to recompose himself for the part he's trying to portray, but it seems like his partner is even less inclined to play along than she was before. "Why the long face?"

JENNA: * She pauses at the edge of the walkway and turns to lean against him, burying her face against his chest. "I'm tired.. let's just go find the cabin. We can start looking tomorrow." She's slow to start moving again, however, hand still curled around the map.

JUSTIN: * Shane smiles vaguely, having the good grace to stow his annoying behavior for the meantime. "All right," he plucks the map from her hand and opens it up to look, "shouldn't be too hard to locate... Here we go, this way." He tucks his arm around her waist and starts off in the direction the map indicates. The room isn't too far from the reception area, dashing any hope of it being a coveted, remote cabin, but it is at least at the end of its particular row.

JENNA: * Jo looks faintly ill at its location, but she doesn't say anything, pausing at the door as though she really doesn't want to see what's inside. She doesn't hesitate long, however, pushing inside and dropping her belongings near the door. Even if it is a different cabin from last time, the decor is much the same, though the colors are different, and she shakes her head. "Well, here we are."

JUSTIN: "Here we are," Shane echoes, shutting the door behind them and sliding his pack to the ground. "Home for the next few weeks." Taking a look around, he scratches at the back of his head as he decides what to do with himself. "You can go on and get some sleep if you want. I think I'll poke around for a little while."

JENNA: * Jo waves a hand at him absently, turning to her pack for a clean tunic before walking toward the bathroom. "Do what you want," she says absently. "I want a bath." She pauses at the bathroom door, looking back at him and arching an eyebrow. "Don't wander too far," she remarks, then ambles inside, shutting it behind her.

JUSTIN: * Shane shrugs lightly and tugs off his coat -- it's really much too warm out for it -- and throws it onto the bed, followed shortly by his pistol and sword. He doubts he'll need them here, of all places. Straightening his hat, he takes his key from the envelope in his pocket and locks the door behind him, then turns to survey the late afternoon scene.

JENNA: * Jo, for her part, settles in for a long bath, soaking the aches of two long voyages out of her bones and attempting to cleanse herself of the admittedly mental taint of coming back to this island. The only upside she can think of is possibly ripping off some of the newlyweds. And not telling Shane. Outside, most of the couples appear to have retreated to their cabins, but a few are strolling around toward the beaches. Very few people are wandering around singly, unless they're employees.

JUSTIN: * Shane takes another deep breath of the tropical air and folds his arms over his chest, watching the leaves of the palm trees swaying with the easy breeze. Not about to let the horrible decor spoil what would be considered a vacation by most, he decides he'll enjoy a little walk and maybe a drink before he's ready to call it a night. Not aiming in any particular direction, he follows the boardwalk away from the end of their row of cabins, hoping something of interest will present itself before he gets too lost.

JENNA: * Not long after the cabins have ended, there's a small bar, heavily tropical-themed, much like the rest of the resort, that appears to be selling drinks of one kind or another. Aside from the server, there's a glum-looking woman who doesn't appear to have gotten out of her travel clothes yet, and she's staring vacantly into space while nursing what probably isn't her first drink.

JUSTIN: * Shane pauses to consider this open-air bar, eyeing the trimmings and wondering about the point of making tropical-themed decoration when there are real palm trees overhead and a beach within walking distance. Shrugging such useless thoughts aside, he ambles up to the bar and deposits himself on the nearest stool, peering over the counter with unabashed curiousity.

JENNA: * The woman glances at him ironically, lifting her glass. "You stuck on your own, too?" she asks drily, and the bartender glances at him. "Get something for you?" he asks, ignoring the woman. "I recommend the Jawaii Sunset special," she says, apparently not bothered by it.

JUSTIN: * Shane is about to answer the woman's first question when he's distracted by the following one, and he pauses as if considering. "I'll try what she suggested," he says with modest optimism -- it certainly can't be bad if someone's suggesting it, after all. He reaches into his belt pouch and produces a few bills to place on the counter, and eyes the woman a seat down from him. "I didn't think you could get stuck alone in a place like this."

JENNA: * The bartender turns away with a nod, and the woman smirks, almost bitterly. "You'd be surprised, huh? Gods, what a horrible day." She takes a long drink and sets her glass down, looking at Shane sideways. "Though to be honest, I can't imagine a woman letting you out of her sight ..."

JUSTIN: * Shane takes his hat off of his head and sets it down on the counter. "Hm?" he pauses to swipe his hair back from his face, then smiles vaguely, "Oh, I'm not the one that needs to be worried about. She's the one who gets up to no good when she disappears." He doesn't seem nearly as bitter about it as his companion, but there is the slightest tinge of disapproval in his features when he mentions it.

JENNA: * The woman arches a brow, looking somewhere between amused and sympathetic. "One of those, huh? Too bad ..." She looks him over again as the bartender sets his drink in front of him. "And here we are at the bar, all on our lonesomes," she says with a grin.

JUSTIN: * Shane sniffs at his drink and takes a small sip of it. It's fruity, tropical, with a small bite to it. Not too bad. "Well, I wasn't about to interrupt her," he says casually, leaning his arms on the counter and relaxing against it. "If she wants to lay around and do her thing, I guess there isn't much I can say about it." He looks over at the woman with a tired smile. "She says she's tired, but I don't buy it. I've worn her out a lot more than this before. No, I think she's just restless. I think it's this place, drives her crazy."

JENNA: * At this the woman's eyebrows lift, and she leans on her elbow, easing slightly closer to him. "Well, if you've got time on your hands, I know I do," she says lazily, reaching out a hand to stroke her finger lazily along his arm. "We could have a grand old time all on our own -- while they're off kicking up their heels."

JUSTIN: * Shane is halfway through gulping down his drink when he notices the gentle pressure against his arm, and he nearly chokes the liquid. It takes him a second to find his voice again, amidst a barely-controlled coughing fit, and his face is visibly strained from the effort when he turns to look at her in puzzlement. "We're... having a fine time right here, aren't we?" He coughs again, into his arm, which also happens to pull it away from her touch.

JENNA: * The woman smiles disarmingly, easing her way over that much closer and leaning forward enough that the collar of her shirt drops, exposing a fair amount of cleavage. "Oh, but there's so much other fun we could have ..." She reaches for him again, but this time her target is his leg.

JUSTIN: * Shane can't help a rather wide-eyed stare at the woman's exposed cleavage, if only out of sheer surprise and confusion, but he quickly rips his vision aside. "I'm... I'm n-not so sure about that." He interrupts himself by downing the last of his drink in one tremendous gulp, and when her touch finds its way to his leg, he instinctively jerks up to his feet, nearly knocking his stool over in the process. He turns to settle it, feeling unexplainably dizzy and light-headed.

JENNA: * The woman looks at him petulantly, turning to finish her own drink in a single gulp. "Come on, honey, you don't have to be so loyal ..." She turns back to him with a game smile, tugging on his sleeve. "From what you've said, she won't even care."

JUSTIN: "I'm not so sure of that, either--" Shane stumbles back a step and falls on his butt in the sand, completely unprepared for the buzz he's got from that drink. He looks wholly embarrassed and bewildered, looking up at the woman with a new sense of fear. "You don't really... I mean, I'm not a great guy, honest -- you'd be better off looking elsewhere."

JENNA: * The woman seems undeterred, however, with her obvious ulterior motive of punishing her significant other, and she follows him to the ground, crawling to lean over him with one hand on either side. "You don't look all that bad to me," she purrs, and the bartender clears his throat. "I don't guess you could take that somewhere else.." he suggests quietly.

JUSTIN: * Shane closes his eyes tightly for a moment -- though he's not certain why. Hoping she'll disappear? When they reopen, though, she's only closer than she started, and he chokes back on a startled yelp. "I think the bartender makes an excellent point," he says quickly, grabbing the woman and lifting her as he gets upright -- only to set her back on her feet again afterward. "We should really be somewhere else right now -- different somewhere elses."

JENNA: * The woman stumbles back, looking somewhat insulted. "What -- what are you talking about? You just said she's a slut -- why do you care?" Her indignation is clear, though it's just as clear she isn't trying to jump him anymore. The bartender, meanwhile, is looking even more stressed. "Will you two please --"

JUSTIN: "A slut?!" Shane's mouth hangs in shock at the accusation, even more shocking since she's implying /he's/ the one who labeled her as such. "I never said my girlfr -- my wife is a slut! I said she's a /thief/!" His dizziness is getting even worse, and he's starting to see two sets of cleavage in front of him. "Just... what kind of a person /are/ you?!"

JENNA: * The woman bristles at this, fists planting themselves on her hips. "Who the hell are you to --" By now the bartender has come around from his station, however, and he catches the woman by the arm, looking aggravated. "Ma'am, what's your cabin number? I think it's time for you to go back ..." She struggles against him, turning her anger on the new target, but he doesn't seem bothered by it, shaking his head and attempting to lead her away.

JUSTIN: * Shane looks torn between the need to assist the bartender and the need to beat feet -- and when he thinks about it, assisting would probably just make the woman even more violent. Lunging over to snag his hat from the counter, he tugs it on and holds it down while he makes a hasty retreat back in the direction he arrived from. He manages to avoid running into anything in spite of his swirling vision, but it still takes him just as long to get back to his cabin at a jog as it did to get to the bar walking. He fumbles with the key in the lock for what seems like minutes before he finally hears the click of the latch, and then falls unceremoniously into the room.

JENNA: * Jo blinks, grip automatically tightening on the towel she has wrapped around her. The tunic she chose was apparently dirtier than she expected. "That didn't take long," she remarks, fumbling around in her pack. "Mind shutting the door? I don't think I have anything clean." She looks at him again, frowning. "Is something wrong?"

JUSTIN: * Shane manages to kick the door closed with a flailing foot before crawling up to his knees, the panic on his face being taken over by a wash of relief. "Jo! Jo--" he gets to his feet and stumbles toward her, only to fall to his knees again and nuzzle his face into her side. "I went to the bar and I had this fruit drink, but it made me dizzy, and then this lady -- she called you a slut and tried to climb on me--" He stops to catch his breath, his stomach protesting all the activity.

JENNA: * Jo stumbles back when he latches onto her, staring at him blankly for a moment as his rushed statement finally sinks in. "You.. ..." She sighs, letting her hand drop to rest on his head, stroking his hair. "I don't think that was a fruit drink, Shane." She tries to figure out some way to help him up without losing the towel, but she gives up, letting the towel fall away as she attempts to get him upright. "Just.. here.. come lie on the bed ..."

JUSTIN: * Shane manages to get to his feet without falling over again, and he lets Jo help him over to the bed, where he does collapse with a long sigh. "Why do these things always happen when I'm alone," he bemoans, rolling onto his back to look up at Jo with a guilty frown. His eyes soon twitch down from her face to her chest, and his head tilts to the side while he appreciates the view, guilty look turning to something more like contentment.

JENNA: * Jo looks down at him, arching an eyebrow, and shakes her head. "Because you're an idiot," she says, seating herself next to him and bending to kiss him gently. She pulls way, running her fingers through his hair again. "You need to be more careful.. and less polite."

JUSTIN: * Shane curls an arm around her and turns to nestle into her soft, inviting skin. "But if I wasn't polite, you wouldn't like me," he murmurs, feeling much safer now that his woman is here to protect him. No crazy newlyweds can jump him now. "Mmph... I don't think that was fruit juice," he echoes her earlier statement -- he apparently didn't hear it.

JENNA: * She sighs tolerantly, continuing to stroke his hair. "No, it certainly wasn't." She pauses to prod him gently. "Don't go to sleep just yet ... you'd probably better get a bath. I can come if you need me to." She kisses him teasingly and starts to tug him carefully upright.

JUSTIN: * Shane goes with the flow, following her kiss until he's upright and then in the direction of the bathroom. He's not overly tired, per se, but the light-headedness makes it hard for him to concentrate. Whatever was in that drink, it certainly wasn't light on the alcohol. He tries to get his shirt off, and does a fairly good job of it, save for missing a button or two before trying to pull it off.

JENNA: * Jo sighs and helps him with the shirt, tutting comfortably as they finally manage to get it off. She pauses to help him get his trousers unfastened, then leaves him to get them the rest of the way off, kneeling near the bath to run some water. "That must have been some drink," she remarks. "What was it called?"

JUSTIN: * Shane sits down on the edge of the bathtub to kick off his pants, barely keeping his balance. "Something about sunshine..." he answers, somewhat distracted with trying to get the pants off of his four -- then three -- then four -- then two legs. "The lady told me to get it, but that was before I found out she was crazy..."

JENNA: "Be careful," Jo says, catching him and helping him off with the rest while the water runs. "Probably more drunk than crazy ..." She gets to her feet, bending to kiss the top of his head. "Idiot." She sounds fairly affectionate, though.

JUSTIN: * Shane doesn't seem the least bit insulted by her choice of term, used for the second time, and once his clothes are off he's all too happy to slide his way into the still-running water. "Are you coming?" He looks up at her with what's probably supposed to be pleading eyes, though they don't quite make it to her face.

JENNA: * Jo snorts, catching him under the chin and tilting his face up to meet her gaze, then she leans over to kiss him again. "You want me to?" she asks, pulling back slightly and arching an eyebrow.

JUSTIN: * Shane smiles innocently enough, though that might just be the alcohol, because what he does next is anything but innocent. Reaching up with both hands, he grabs Jo by the rear end and lifts her effortlessly off the wood floor and into the water with him, falling back with a splash.

JENNA: * Jo squawks as he does so, though the sound is lost in the splash, but she does squeak a little bit as she tries to orient herself. "You could have just said 'yes,'" she remarks, finding herself nuzzling against his chest. She kisses gently and attempts to right herself a little bit, shifting until she's somewhat seated in his lap, facing him.

JUSTIN: * Shane shrugs his shoulders lazily, hands still comfortably clamped to her backside. "Coulda... faster this way, though." He leans up to kiss her jaw, quickly spreading the affection down her neck and shoulder. "Mm," he pauses between kisses, appraising her toned skin and pleasant curves, "You're a lot prettier than that other lady. If she knew what I had," he kisses her chest, "I don't think she'd've tried to make me her new boyfriend."

JENNA: "That so?" Jo mrrs, bending to catch his mouth with hers and leaning lazily against him. "I don't know about that ..." She eases down to apply her kisses to his throat and down to his chest. "You've probably got quite a few other things she would have liked." She lingers for a moment before bringing her head up and meeting his gaze. "But I'm not about to share you with anyone else."

JUSTIN: * Shane seems wholly pleased by this decision of hers, and he gets an almost feral look in his eyes. He glides his hands up her back as he tugs her down against him again almost roughly, finding her lips with his own and fully intending to turn this dance into a workout.

JENNA: * Jo offers only token resistance to his maneuver, pressing into him as provocatively as she can and returning his kiss with equal enthusiasm. Her hands have just begun to wander when she notes the feeling of water lapping against her back and realizes that the faucet is, in fact, still going. Suddenly alarmed, she attempts to lurch away from him, fumbling for the handle, a task made more difficult by his grip on her.

JUSTIN: * Shane tries to keep his grip on the woman, but the slickness of her wet skin causes his fingers to slide all over her body rather than find purchase. Getting frustrated, he throws his arms around her and holds on tight against her wiggling attempts to depart from him, and he very nearly growls. "Where are you going?!" It's safe to assume he doesn't notice the ever-rising water, even as it's starting to overtake his neck. He's got his mind set on one thing, and it doesn't look like he's going to give it up without a fight.

JENNA: * Jo is torn between laughing and smacking him upside the head. She settles for the former, leaning up to kiss his disgruntled mouth. "Shane, I have to turn the water off ..." she says, wriggling against his hold. "I promise it'll only take two seconds." She slips a hand down to give him a teasing squeeze.

JUSTIN: * Shane doesn't let her go, but he does wiggle closer to the faucet, ferrying her in reach of her goal. "Hurry," he urges, sounding most distressed over this delay, "there are things I need to do to you!" His head gets thoroughly soaked in the process, having positioned himself right under the flow of water, but this seems to be an acceptable alternative to losing his hold on her.

JENNA: * Jo turns in his grip, trying not to giggle at this plaintive insistence. It almost makes her want to take her time, but she's almost as interested as he is in what he needs to do to her, and she has the water shut off in short order. Task complete, she turns back to him, relaxing once again against his chest. "Quick enough?"

JUSTIN: "It'll do," Shane says much more calmly, happy to have Jo back where he wants her. He resumes where he left off, hands roaming across her skin until they find a comfortable place to take hold of her, and his lips lock with hers insistantly. He casually works them both toward the shallow end of the bath, where he has more freedom without fear of drowning himself, and takes it upon himself to give her a preview of just what he needs to do to her.

JENNA: * Jo takes to this treatment graciously at first, running her hands along and over him -- there are a few things she needs to do to him, too. Eventually, however, she's more than ready for him to get past the preview, murmuring an exhortation as her body and hands attempt to compel him onward.

JUSTIN: * Shane takes Jo's urgings to heart, and it takes little more pleading on her part to get the full treatment. The man's light inebriation, mixed with the fact they haven't had sex since they left their house weeks back, combine to create a rather unique and interesting experience. It is amazing what a little lack of inhibitions will do for a man's creativity -- or at least, he certainly hopes she considers it amazing.

JENNA: * Whether 'amazing' is the word coming to Jo's mind -- or whether any words are coming to mind at all -- is difficult to say, as she's somewhat occupied with what Shane is doing -- and what she can do to make him keep doing it. As they continue, it becomes clearer that actual washing may have to wait until morning, but Jo has no particular complaint about that -- she forgot the matter entirely shortly after she turned the water off.

JUSTIN: * Not a small amount of water gets sloshed over the edge of the bath before they're through wrestling around like a couple of rabid animals, and by the time their energy is depleted, the water level is low enough that Shane can collapse against the side of the tub without drowning himself -- which is a good thing, because he doesn't seem to have the strength to do anything but lay there and pant.

JENNA: * Jo, shivering once or twice in the aftermath, leans up to kiss him gently before leaning back down against his shoulder, eyes half closed. She runs her hand drowsily up and down his ribs, smiling faintly and nuzzling against his neck. "Feeling better?" she murmurs, only now realizing, to her surprise, the effect a little (and not too much) alcohol has on his inhibitions.

JUSTIN: * Shane manages to get his arms around her in a loose hug, though he's content to remain where he is, eyes closed and a smile on his exhausted face. "Much better..." he murmurs, and whether he's refering to the state of his inebriation or the state of his elation, only he knows for sure.

JENNA: * It's several more minutes before Jo stirs again, innate practicality taking over her desire to just lie there and soak. "Mm.. Shane." She prods him gently shifting as if to get to her feet. "Can't sleep here." She nudges him, then tilts her head to kiss him -- anything to get his attention.

JUSTIN: * Shane returns the kiss, eyes cracking open a bit to see the face of the one trying to call his attention. He puts on a half-smile, reaching his hand up to pet at Jo's hair. "Why not? I'm comfortable." He yawns expressively, and his hands attempt to return Jo to her position against his body.

JENNA: "Because we will drown.. and it will be cold and uncomfortable in the morning." She kisses him again, dodging his hands and getting to her feet a little unsteadily. She kisses him again, but only as a precursor to attempting to help him upright.

JUSTIN: * Shane sighs with exaggerated protest, but he does follow her kisses upwards until he is successfully out of the bathtub. He wastes no time in draping himself over Jo again, however, leaning his weight against her and slowly sliding down to his knees. "Hmm..." He considers his position for a moment, then kisses her belly button. "Now what do we do?"

JENNA: * Jo stumbles against his weight and sighs, teasing at his hair and reaching for a towel, which she drops on top of him, proceeding to rub it mockingly against his hair before bending to actually start toweling him off. "We go to bed, and we sleep." She wrinkles her nose, kneeling and tugging the towel around to his front. "Busy day tomorrow."

JUSTIN: * Shane nods his head absently, letting her towel him off without complaint, then taking it and returning the favor, albeit it a bit less success. If it weren't for his own weariness, rubbing around her more womanly areas would probably have gotten him going again, but as it stands, he is ready for a little rest. "You first," he says groggily, getting to his feet with a stretch.

JENNA: * Jo takes the towel and tends to whatever spots he missed before leaning casually against him and drawing him toward the bedroom. She's glad enough they didn't get a second run on the bathroom floor, as she's only a little less tired than Shane. "Should sleep well tonight, at least," she murmurs.

JUSTIN: * Shane grunts what must be an agreement, and he happily deposits himself on the oversized bed. He crawls half-heartedly toward the head of the bed, easily comfortable enough to fall asleep anywhere within the heart-shaped confines of the mattress. Once he's reached the pillows, he rolls over onto his back and motions for Jo to join him.

JENNA: * Jo isn't too far behind, ambling idly after him and crawling onto the bed. She makes her way lazily over to him and flops down, nestling against him. For a moment, she looks like she's about to say something, but she appears to change her mind, yawning instead and nuzzling his shoulder.

JUSTIN: * Shane doesn't appear to notice the would-be words that never leave her lips, curling up with her and burrowing gratefully into the warmth of her neck with a yawn. Thus positioned, sleep is not far from his doorstep, and it's only minutes before it comes knocking. He sleeps fitfully, the alcohol working the rest of its way out of his system and leaving behind only the best of Jo-inspired dreams.