Regaining his seat in the deserted auditorium, Haley Brimley handed his wife Carly the cold drink he had been buying, and again looked up at the stage. “How’s it going?”

The woman shrugged as she sipped the drink, which was really appreciated in the hot July afternoon. “As always. That Kevin Williamson boy is really unbearable, he bosses people around worse than a movie star.”

Haley shook his head. “I’m sure Chris can control herself and just ignore him,” he shrugged.

That was their first week aboard the cruise ship Annabel Lee, where Christy’s musical group would perform Cole Porter’s legendary Broadway musical Kiss Me Kate in several holiday resorts in Florida. It was something the young teenager was really looking forward to, especially since she would had landed the lead character Kate after several selections, and also because even though it might not have been the chance of a lifetime, it still allowed her and her class to visit many places over the summer, and to be seen by many people. Things had been going fairly well so far, considering that day after day of practising and rehearsing, waiting for the premiere which was now two days away, was quite stressful for the young performers. They were talented singers and dancers, but still not accustomed to play frequently, especially in front of audiences.

That afternoon Chris was onstage, biting her cheek to keep her temper in check. She was so sick of that Kevin! Even Tod, the main director, was getting tired with the boy’s constant lip. So much for a fun summer, she sighed ruefully. She had to take a breather before starting the rehearsal for this particular scene again: it was the scene when she, Kate, gets spanked for being ‘impertinent’. Being at the hands of that Kevin during the already-embarrassing situation was almost hell. The scene began smooth enough, but before long she found herself face-down over the obnoxious teen’s lap. This time, instead of pretending to spank her, however, he actually put some sting into it! She struggled and cried out for real, but Tod just clapped his hands and called out from the audience:

“Good job, Chris! That’s your best time on this one yet!”

Chris blushed with shame and anger. That decided it. Something had to be done about Kevin, and if no one else was going to do anything because he was so ‘indispensable’ as a lead character, then it was up to her.

As soon as Tod praised him, Kevin let Chris up, not caring to hide the huge grin flashing on his face. “Hey girl, since you forget your lines so often, I might have to spank you for real... oops, I DID spank you for real!” he muttered, and burst out laughing, much to Christy’s and her friends’ disappointment.

“Shut up, Williamson, think about all the notes you get wrong,” Joanna said, glaring at him. “We all know you’re here for a recommendation anyway.”

The boy cast her an equally venomous look, and raised his chin. “Mind your own damn business, Rawlins. Think about all the times you stumble during your steps, and we all know you’re not even worthy a recommendation, you’re so lousy.” That had Joanna almost dart towards him, but a couple of other group dancers restrained her from doing so, calming her down.

From the audience, Haley and Carly could not hear what the boy was saying, but it was still pretty clear that he was being cocky with Chris and pretty much everyone else.

“Blah, the typical snotty, know-it-all teenager,” Carly sighed. “I wouldn’t be surprised if someone kicked him in his... Oh well. I hope they’re keeping their cool.”

Haley nodded. “So do I. It’s just two days from the premiere, not the time to screw this up. And said between us: I’m glad Chris is a much better person than he is.”

“I want to have a talk with his parents anyway, if this continues.”

“Well said.”

* * *

That evening Chris kept tossing and turning in her bed, absolutely unable to fall asleep. Finally she whispered over to Joanna, whom she was sharing her room with. “Hey, girl. You awake?”

Drifting back to consciousness, Joanna nodded and mumbled: “Yes... now. What’s up babe? Still thinking about the show? C’mon, no biggie...”

“Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you up. But it was a big deal! A big freakin’ deal! He was actually SPANKING me! I mean, it didn’t hurt that much...” Chris chuckled: compared to her parents, it had been a series of love pats! “... but he’s getting to be out of control! Something has to be DONE!”

Sitting up and hugging her knees, Joanna looked at her best friend wide-eyed. “You mean he was really spanking you? Jeez, that’s so not right! I thought only your parents could do that,” she giggled. “Aww sorry. I agree he needs a lesson, yeah, but... you’re not getting ideas, are you?”

Christy gave her friend a sly grin. “Actually... yeah, I am.” Chris was somehow not even thinking about the last time she had plotted revenge. All she cared about was that she was going to get that kid. “Do you know if there is any super-glue on board?”

Now Joanna’s stare became a side look, and she shook her head. “Oh no, you can’t be thinking THAT!” she exclaimed. “Of course there is, in the costume designer’s cupboard, but... oh Chris, you don’t want to get in trouble, do you? Your parents are here!”

Chris shrugged. She was on the warpath, and there was nothing that would stop her. “I’ve lived through more spankings than I thought possible, and I can live through another one. At least it will be worth it. But yes, I am thinking THAT. He has to use the sword, and since tomorrow is dress rehearsal, no one would see a messed up performance, yet he’ll be plenty embarrassed.” What Chris didn’t add was what she was planning on doing after he got his hand stuck to that sword!

Sighing and shaking her head, Joanna sank back in her bed. “Oh well, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Her own mischievous nature kicked in at last, though, and she turned around and gave her a thumbs-up sign. “But gosh, it’ll be cool if you do it,” and she gave a giggle.

* * *

The following morning, at half past ten, everyone was grouped in the ship’s auditorium, preparing for the second part of the dress rehearsal, the first having gone smooth as silk. Most of the one thousand seats were empty, but some parents were still there to watch, including of course Haley and Carly, who hardly missed anything Chris did, at least for what concerned her performances.

Just before the rehearsal began, Chris sneaked in the changing rooms and fished for Kevin’s sword in the scene props. Biting her lower lip and knowing this was totally wrong, she squeezed a liberal amount of the filched super-glue onto the hilt of the sword, and got back onstage.

She waited anxiously for the curtain to go up. Finally it did, and it started with Kevin and another guy, Jerry, swaggering out on stage. As he had become accustomed to doing, Kevin held onto the sword’s hilt with his hand. As he drew his hand back to make a wild, exaggerated gesture, he nearly pulled his arm out of the socket! Two, three more times he tried to let go of the fake weapon, and grew more and more distraught.

Chris, as well as half the cast was laughing her head off. She came onstage to gang up on the red-faced boy. “What’s the matter, Kevin?” she asked sweetly. “Hand stuck?”

“What the hell... oh man... hey hey hey this sword’s GLUED to my hand! It’s damn glued, no no no listen up man!” he said when Tod, still laughing, tried to help him. “It’s damn glued, you hear me? Some idiot thought this was funny and... and...” His face flushed even more when anger added to embarrassment as he saw Christy being so blatantly sweet and mellifluous, and understood it had been her. “You!” he yelled. “You!... I... I...!!”

Haley and Carly stood and approached the stage to see what all the commotion was about, and right there and then they heard their precious 14-year-old daughter say: “THAT was for everything you’ve been doing to the whole cast and crew, asshole!” Then she reached out and slapped the boy hard across the face. She really wanted to punch him, but that would leave a visible mark, and that would make a nasty thing for a performance. But she put all her strength into that one slap, leaving a bright pink mark on his face. “That is how I felt yesterday after you SPANKED ME FOR REAL!” she yelled. Chris was literally glowing, and had never felt better.

“Ooof!!” Kevin was so taken aback at that that he nearly tripped over his own feet and stumbled to the ground. When he recovered, he was so ballistic that he would have swung his sword towards Christy if Tod and Jerry and a dozen of other people didn’t restrain him.

As for the young girl, there was someone to prevent her from doing any more damage just as well, but it was her mother’s arms, which dragged her away from the group and ushered her aside.

“Easy, kid, easy! Calm down now, and what in the world do you think you were doing??” she exclaimed. Haley, futile to mention, was enraged and aghast, and didn’t say a word.

“I... was... showing him... what it feels like...” she replied, huffing a little from the effort she had just extended. All of a sudden she was starting to second-guess the intelligence of what she had done, but it was way too late for that.

“You were what?” Carly exclaimed, not believing her ears. “He is a little idiot and he’s going to pay if it’s true he hit you for real, but you, Christine Marie, are in HUGE trouble,” she said, hushed so others wouldn’t hear.

“Just wait till you feel how it feels like,” Haley added, casting her a death glare that would frighten the dead.

Chris gulped. “A-am I in a... a LOT of trouble?” she whispered nervously.

Haley sighed and exchanged looks with his wife, then said: “Keep up with the rehearsal now, it’s important... if they manage to take that sword off that dork’s hand, that is. And you’d better hope he’s okay and his parents don’t sue us. Anyway, come to our cabin as soon as this session is over.” And with that, both of them walked off stage, leaving Christy behind, Carly shooting one last, disapproving look behind her back, shaking her head.

Chris knew what that meant. Thankfully, by the time she had got back to the stage, the crew had found some Goo-gone, and had managed to pry off the sword from the kid’s hand. It was one of the most drawn-out rehearsals of her young life, and her heart wasn’t truly in it, but she made it through the three hours at long last. Christy took a deep breath before leaving the auditorium-area, then headed to her parents’ cabin. Shakily she raised her hand and knocked on their door.

From the table where she was sitting, writing postcards, Carly stood and went to the door, all the while Haley browsed absent-mindedly through a book. It looked as though they were just killing time while waiting for their daughter’s arrival, and in a way they were. The prospect of doing what they were about to do wasn’t enthralling at all, but they had discussed it very thoroughly anyway: Christy did not know yet, but her fate had already been decided more than a hour earlier.

“Come in...” Carly said. “Everything alright at the auditorium?” she asked, stone-faced.

“Errrr... yeah. They got the sword off with no trouble,” Christy replied nervously.

“That’s good, at least,” Haley said, standing and approaching Christy too.

Carly looked at him and then at her. “Useless to say, we’re not one bit happy with what you did.”

The girl hung her head. She knew she was in trouble, but even so, the gravity of the situation still hadn’t quite sunk in. “Yeah, I know,” she sighed.

“Good. To be more specific,” Haley said, “this is the worst mess you’ve ever been in. Not that he didn’t deserve it... but it is a matter of principle. And speaking of principals: after the incident with Mrs. Richardson, you said: “I’ll never take revenge on anyone again”... were you lying, Christine?”

“Or did you just change your mind in these two months?” Carly added.

Christy’s face drained of all color. “I... I...” The truth was, she didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t had this in mind at all. How could she have forgotten the week from HELL?!

While Carly just stood in front of her with arms crossed, Haley resumed pacing the room, shaking his head. “Today like then,” he said, “you seemed to find it funny when you were doing it. And today like then, I don’t think you’re going to find this funny an hour or so from now.”

“In case it wasn’t clear already, Christine Marie,” Carly said in a somewhat solemn tone, “you’re going to get the spanking of your life for this.”

If it was possible, Christy’s face lost all pallor. The last time she had heard that promise, she’d wound up with a blistered backside. At least they didn’t have that Holey Paddle here! “Daddy... I... please... I... I’m sorry...” She was beginning to sob softly already as realization sunk in.

“I hate to resort to this, but: not nearly as sorry as you’re going to be,” Haley said. “I can’t even start to tell you how sad it is that after a week like that we’re back to square one. Not only you will have taken that punishment for nothing, but you wasted our time and efforts too!” he said, raising his voice now, then realising there was no need for that, and calming down.

Meanwhile, taking another deep breath, Carly took a chair out of under the table and motioned Chris over, without a word. The girl hesitated some before finally mincing her way over to her mother. She was trembling a bit already, her eyes nearly wild in fright.

With quick gestures, Carly unfastened the girl’s scene costume - a multicoloured ample skirt - and let it fall to the floor. Next was her underwear, which reached the skirt at her ankles, and Chris stood there with just her socks and yellow sleeveless camisole on, trying not to cry right away.

“I never would think we’d come to this again... not for this reason anyway,” Carly said, and from her face, one could see she meant business.

Chris couldn’t even make eye contact, however. She simply let her mother carry through with these steps, her shoulders rising and falling with silent sobs. There was nothing to say. And seeing she would not get a word out of her, Carly started to pull her over her lap... but could not quite do it, because Haley stepped in, grabbing Chris around her waist, carrying her bodily to another chair and flicking her across his lap. Without a word, he started spanking her with hard blows, while his wife watched, surprised and raising an eyebrow.

The young girl was totally shocked by this turn of events just as well. She struggled, more out of shock than pure defiance. The smacks stung a lot, however, coming from his strong arm. “Daddy!” she cried out, squirming some.

“How could you... SPANK! ...ever... SPANK! ...think... SPANK! ...of doing such a thing??” The smacks fell all over her bottom and sit-spots, almost two per second. “And don’t think... SPANK! ...we didn’t hear that word!” SPANK! “And you know what that means!” SPANK! SPANK!

“Nooo! Please... .DADDY! I’m sorry!” Christy whined. She knew very well that her parents, especially her mother, preferred to enforce her clean talk with a clean mouth, so to speak.

Haley didn’t reply and just spanked on, but Carly leaned over to level with Chris’s eyes and said: “I’m not sure we can believe you, Christine. You said you were sorry two months ago, didn’t you?”

“I... yessssssssss...” she sobbed broken-heartedly. How could she have done this AGAIN?

“Then these are the consequences,” her mother stated, calmly. The barrage of swats from Haley hadn’t calmed down, though, and they just kept falling for nearly another minute before he stopped, rubbing his hand on his trousers and seeing how the girl’s bottom had turned a bright pink.

There were no arguments the teen could use, so she just sobbed, shame-faced, over her father’s lap. She didn’t even want to imagine what all this punishment was going to contain. In a way, it was better for her that she didn’t, or she would be frightened. One thing they did imply, though, and it was that she was getting her mouth washed out with soap.

And sure enough, as soon as Haley let her up, a stern-faced Carly pointed the bathroom to Chris. The pretty teen winced. She pleaded with her eyes, hating the taste of soap more than anyone could ever know, but she also knew very well that this was not the time to fight her punishment. Sighing, she made her way into her parents’ small bathroom. Carly was about to swat her behind to march her in, but thought back of it. Instead, she had her wait by the sink and, still without a word, she wet a raw sponge cloth and lathered it with soap all over, making sure there was a lot of foam. When she was done, she showed it to Christy and said in a somewhat softer, but still very firm tone:

“Open up. Hands behind your back, but no rubbing. And don’t reach up, or else. Okay?”

Christy gave a shuddery sob before complying. She nodded and clasped her fingers behind her to keep from rubbing her stinging bottom. Slowly she opened her mouth, her eyes squeezed shut. Not hesitating, Carly stuffed the wet washcloth in the young girl’s mouth, and started to scrub its insides with vigour, and thoroughly.

“Being a man, your father tends to be lenient towards foul language,” she informed her daughter, “but you know it’s the thing I tolerate the least.”

Tears were silently rolling down the girl’s cheeks. True, she did get away with it a lot when it was just her and her father. Why she couldn’t have at least withheld that comment, she didn’t know. It wasn’t long before her hands were writhing, and she was shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Her mother was far from over, though, and kept scrubbing away at her cheeks, tongue and mouth-roof like her life depended on it. After a few seconds of intense rubbing, she would pause for a while, leaving the cloth inside and scolding Chris some more, only to resume a moment later.

All in all, Christy’s mouth-soaping ordeal lasted more than her father’s hand-spanking before Carly finally stopped. The pretty teenager was crying hard by that time, choking and almost gagging on the cloth, sputtering foam in all directions. She was hardly able to even tell a difference between the taste while her mother was scrubbing and the after taste. The burning bitterness was absolutely horrendous, and her stomach was turning in knots, both from the taste and fear of what was yet to come - she was too wise to even think it might be over for her.

“Spit it all, but don’t rinse, and keep your hands behind your back,” Carly instructed as she moved away to let her daughter use the sink. Contrarily to spanking, which was always tough to perform, she didn’t mind washing out her mouth, because in her mind, it was more evident of a lesson, more symbolic and clearly related to the offence, and knew she would benefit from that. Still, more spanking was in order, and Carly went for her big, 7-inches long wooden hairbrush.

Christy gladly made her way to the sink, and expectorated as much of the God-awful foam as she could. She was still drooling, though, after several minutes, and there was no way that horrid taste would go away if she could not rinse, so she finally just gave up. Instead, she watched Carly with wide eyes, seeing with dread that her mother was grabbing the large brush. This did nothing but renew her sobs, also because the moment later, the woman had grabbed her wrist and was ushering the young girl, still bare from the waist down, to her and her husband’s bed, where she sat down heavily. Haley was standing not far aside, arms crossed and pacing the room like he used to do. He gave a firm nod when he saw his wife with the large hairbrush. Chris breathed in shuddery sobs, knowing that the next stage of her punishment was greatly imminent.

And sure enough, Carly draped her body across her lap, and without a second’s wait, she started applying the back of the heavy hairbrush to her bare, pink derriere with loud cracks.

“Aiiee! Mama!!!” It didn’t take long to set Christy to howling. That heavy brush left a lasting impression, especially when wielded by a ticked-off Carly. Soon enough Chris was sobbing anew and squirming around on her mother’s lap, trying to wriggle away from the burning impact.

That didn’t stop Carly from delivering hard and harder blows to her daughter’s backside, now quickly reddening under the brush. “I can’t believe you’ve been so mindless...” CRACK! CRACK! “I can’t believe you’ve used such language...” CRACK! CRACK! “And I can’t believe you’re getting spanked again for the same thing!” she scolded forcefully as she spanked, circling the teen’s waist with her arm to try and keep her steady.

“I’m SORRY!!!” the girl wailed. “Stop... Mama PLEASE!!!”

But Carly’s ears were deaf to her pleading, and she kept whacking the brush down, focusing now on Christy’s sit-spots, and delivering a very hard blow to her thighs when she would kick too much. It took all of Christy’s willpower to keep from kicking, especially with the extra hard ones designated to prevent her from kicking! Not to mention the amount of self-control it took her in order not to reach back, something which, she knew, would sign her death warrant in the blink of an eye. Finally, she had exhausted herself, and just lay limp across her mother’s knees, bawling.

That was the sign Carly had been waiting for, and when it came, she nodded. She still gave her daughter another dozen hearty whacks, which really turned her cheeks to a glowing red, and they were so warm the heat could be felt from a distance. But at long last, her mother stopped and released her grip on the crying child.

“Get up when you want to, baby,” she whispered.

That moment was going to be quite a while in coming, however. It felt like her bottom was literally pulsing and she was totally spent. Finally, after several minutes, the teen pushed herself up with shaky hands. Carly helped her in the process, supporting her under her armpits and around her waist, and moved the hair away from her sweaty forehead and flushed face.

“Do you realise now what a huge mistake you made today, Christine?” she said.

Chris sobbed and nodded. “I’m... so... sorry...” she sobbed. “Mama, I’m so sorry!” She wanted nothing more than a hug, but didn’t know if she deserved it yet or not. She knew she’d really screwed up big time.

“I want to believe you, honey,” Carly said, nodding and giving a quick caress to her cheek, then briefly kissing her forehead as she got up.

Not longer than a second later, though, Haley took Christy’s shoulder in his hand and guided over to the side of the two-poster bed, and had her face him as he stood. “You are lucky we don’t have that paddle here, Chris, because you sure would be feeling it if we did.”

Chris shook and quavered, the mention alone of that thing scaring her to death. What, then was she in store for? She was more frightened than she could remember being in a long, LONG time.

“Wh... what IS going to happen, Daddy?” she asked at long last, not really sure she wanted to know the answer.

Haley let the facts speak for him, and as he gave a sigh and looked straight down in Christy’s eyes, he started unbuckling his large, thick black belt. “The goal, Christy, is that you hate this so much you shan’t even think about doing this ever again. Apparently, we’ve been lenient, last time. Well, I won’t be now,” he concluded, pulling the belt from its loops and doubling it over.

Christy’s stomach churned, and her blood ran cold. “No... no, Daddy, no...” she whispered as she started to back out of the room. “D-daddy, please... please don’t... not the belt...” She was just about ready to bolt, and she was shaking like a leaf.

“Christine Marie, I suggest you go back to your father right now, for your own sake,” her mother cut in sharply.

They both knew that this was probably even scarier than the Holey Paddle, given Christy’s fear of leather, but still, refusing to undergo a spanking was the ultimate offence, and it was why she never did - she simply knew better. So the young girl tried to make her way back to her father, but it was as if her feet were frozen to the spot. She was sobbing uncontrollably, shaking with fear. She wasn’t trying to disobey now, she was just rooted to the spot.

The only thing that convinced her parents of that, though, was that she was not actually trying to escape. She was still walking on very thin ice, though, and Haley tried to show her the carrot, so to speak. “Chris, you’re in for a belting, but if you make it difficult, you’re going to get one of these every day for a week... Come on, isn’t it better to get it over with now rather than having another week from hell? Because we can dish it, honest to God, and you’re not going to sit down till the end of the summer.” He looked every bit as serious as he was.

It took a while to have it all register in Christy’s head... but a week of hell... all with that... that THING? She couldn’t believe it. Nearly hyperventilating, she took a hesitant step forward, then another. It was a slow go, but it finally got her close to her father. Haley rewarded her with a smile and a soft peck on her cheek with his hand, but it only lasted a moment before he piled two cushions on the edge of the bed and ordered her to lie across them. Carly, meanwhile, waited on the other side of the bed, ready to welcome Chris in her arms.

The girl was crying hard by the time she finally had herself positioned over the pillows, and she waited tensely for the horrid spanking to commence. Carly took the child’s hands into hers and held tight, not sure she would have the strength not to reach back this time, and not wanting to earn her extras. Behind her, Haley waited a few seconds, then raised the belt and cracked it down hard across both of her cheeks.

Chris screamed as the belt seared its message upon her already-red bottom. “Daddy, NOOO!!!”

She buried her face in the comforter, shaking with the effort this was taking. It was taking quite an effort from him as well, but despite the bright red line striping her poor backside, Haley loaded another blow and lashed it down just as hard, right on top of the first one.

This time the girl writhed hard against her mother’s grasp, wanting nothing more than to reach back and rub the awful, just awful sting and itch that second smack had arisen in her backside. But she could not, so she let out a scream, out of pain and fear and frustration, unbelieving her father was doing this, and so hard.

Sadly, and unbeknownst to her, there was still a lot to go through, because Haley meant this to be a memorable session; and after waiting some more, he began to whip down the belt with rhythm, one lash every two or three seconds, the leather biting cruelly into Chris’s flesh.

“Daddy!” Chris shrieked, her voice shrill. How was it that the belt was always worse? True, she had got a blistering the last time she’d done this too, but in no time it had been over. This just continued on and on, in her mind. There was a rushing in her ears as she started to lose her focus.

There was no way Haley could know of the difference in his daughter’s mind, though: all he aimed for was for her to be totally sorry, and for her skin to be quite raw, and since he wasn’t there yet, he kept it up, while Carly held Chris tight and caressed her hair in a soothing way. Haley had delivered almost two full dozens when he paused, letting the girl catch her breath.

This breather was much needed, too: Christy was literally panting with the effort it was taking to take this awful spanking. She barely even noticed the pause or her mother’s caring touch. While her breathing did calm some, the pain was so intense she didn’t truly realize why it was getting better for quite some time.

“Chris, honey?” Haley said after exchanging looks with his wife. He meant to deliver one last set of lashes to her backside, no more than six or seven, but he wanted to make sure she was still conscious enough to understand that. “Do you realise now why we never, EVER want you to do such a thing again?”

“YES!!!” she cried pitifully. “Sorry... so sorry... stop... I beg you...” she added in little gasps. Surely he had to be through... didn’t he?

“We want to believe you, sweetie,” Carly said softly in her ear, “but this is the very last time...” Haley delivered a tremendous lash across Chris’s relatively un-spanked thighs as she spoke.

“NOOOOOOO!!!” Chris howled and stamped her feet. She felt so betrayed! Where that had come from she didn’t know. It seemed so cruel, making her think it was over. She had just barely heard Carly over the sound of the leather and skin making contact and her own scream... but she felt ganged up on.

“... you said that you were sorry last time as well...” Carly said, as Haley delivered another lash. “... we love you too much to let you do it ever again...” CRACK! “... so please, please honey, you need to be strong and stick up to the wonderful girl that you are...” CRACK! “... can you do this? If not for yourself, for your mommy and daddy?” CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

This time Haley really did stop, and dropped the belt on the bed, breathing hard.

Chris was beyond words. She just lay there sobbing, nearly choking as her breath came in little spurts. How could they have done that? All she could think of was pain... and fear... that this wasn’t yet the end. She hadn’t even noticed Haley’s dropping the belt, she knew nothing besides her own pain and feelings.

At long last, Haley knelt on the bed too and turned Christy around, and he and her mother gathered the cute girl in their arms. She was looking a mess indeed, and for a good reason: it had been the hardest spanking in her life, with pretty nasty bruising, and though they were sorry, Chris’s parents hoped, prayed it would get the message across, that such behaviour from her would not have been tolerated anymore.

“Shh, shh...” Haley murmured. “Cry it all out, it’s all over. You’re a good girl...”

Chris turned to look at her father for a moment but she couldn’t help herself. She turned back to her mother held her tighter than anything. For the first time in her life, she didn’t want her father’s love right after a spanking. It wasn’t that she didn’t still love him; she did. Nor that it wouldn’t pass; it would. But at the moment, she just didn’t feel like looking upon him. She just sobbed into Carly’s welcoming arms instead, trying to sort through her feelings and pain all at once... and not succeeding so well. A part of her still felt the whipping wasn’t over, and she was scared beyond words.

To Haley, that was something he knew he should be prepared to face sooner or later, because sooner or later the moment would come when she wouldn’t want to feel cuddly with the one who just hurt her so bad, and it was even logical, come think of it. So, he tried to ignore the pang of guilt driving through his heart like a splinter, and just sat there, giving the occasional rub to his daughter’s back, and letting his loving wife do the rest. But he wondered, and seriously, whether he had gone overboard. The deep red, tending to purplish welts on her backside seemed to say so, but then again, he knew they’d have to wait for some days at least to make sure of the effects such a spanking would have.

How long Chris took to finally getting back to a semi-normal breathing pattern she didn’t know. Time seemed to have been suspended, with the only people moving or living their own little family. The tears slowly dried up, and she just sat there, needing the comfort of knowing she was still loved, especially after such a trying afternoon. Sadly, there was little else besides holding her and whispering loving words in her ear that Haley and Carly could do. But after a while, when Chris was calm enough to be receptive, her father tried to talk to her again, even though he didn’t hug her:

“Honey?... listen, I’m so sorry, believe me... but do you understand why it was necessary?” he asked, while Carly nodded and still caressed the child’s hair.

Chris pressed her eyes together tightly, her lower lip trembling slightly again. She was so torn... she had always loved her father more than anything, and wanted to forgive him. Still, that last flurry of spanks was stuck in her mind, not wanting to let go.

“S-sorta,” she whispered in reply. “I... I know why you had to punish me badly but... you... I...” Incapable of bringing herself to talk about it just yet she buried her face back in Carly’s neck.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Haley was tempted to take Christy and smother her with hugs, but perhaps it was just to show leniency towards himself and get a quick way out of it. But no, he knew he had to deal with the responsibilities of being a very strict father, and so he didn’t do anything.

“If you mean it was too hard, perhaps you’re right,” he finally blurted out. “I don’t know how to show it, Chris, baby, but it was because we love you,” he said, almost at a loss for words now.

Chris was crying softly again by this time. “I... was so scared, Daddy,” she finally whispered. She knew it sounded foolish! Of course she would be scared of a spanking! But this time had been different. “I... I know you love me, Daddy, I do, it’s just... it didn’t seem like it was you. Especially at the end. You know how much more punishing the belt is for me anyway,” she said, trying so hard to explain, but not sure if she was really doing a decent job or not.

True enough, Haley couldn’t understand everything she was saying, but still, he thought she was getting her point across. Probably the fact itself to be spanking her with the belt was enough to scare her out of doing such a thing ever again, and such a severe belting wasn’t necessary. He just didn’t know, and would’ve questioned himself about that for quite some time. For a moment he thought to keep that to himself, but he didn’t; Chris was old enough to bear with this.

“I know honey... and I’ll be frank, I don’t know if we spanked you too hard or not. Maybe we did, maybe not... what do you think? Please, be honest now. Did you deserve it?”

Chris was completely stunned at this turn of events. “I... would have deserved it if it had been with anything else Daddy... But when you use that... thing... it scares me. I don’t know when it’s likely to end; it takes longer than any paddling. It just... at the end I was scared beyond anything I’ve ever been. It felt like you wouldn’t quit... I felt like I was going to get hit forever... I’m sorry!” She didn’t know how this was going to affect her father... make him angry, hurt... neither of which she wanted right now!

It had both effects, actually. Haley was angry, at himself for not minding, at her for such an irrational fear of the belt, and at the world in general. And hurt? Of course he was, like every time he spanked his daughter, but yet again, this time was different - even for him.

“See Chris, this time it was different perhaps, I don’t know,” he said, not really knowing how to voice what he felt. “I don’t know what to say, just... just PLEASE, believe it was done out of love, and that next time it won’t be so harsh.” He also thought ‘if you’ll be good’, and was scared of that.

“I... I’m so sorry, Daddy!” she sobbed. She didn’t know that he didn’t understand her fear, but she could sense that he didn’t believe it was necessary. After tonight, who could blame her, though? She hated making him think so little of her, and it seemed like even now she was upsetting him.

At long last, after thinking it through some more, Haley was speechless, and not just because of the huge lump in his throat. It was Carly, with a feminine sensibility he didn’t have, to do what was probably needed at that moment: she hugged Chris tight once again, then lifted her and wrapped a blanket around her small frame. “We’re going to take a nap now, aren’t we baby? Say goodnight to Daddy and we’ll all talk about this tonight, right?” She knew she was talking to her like you speak to a toddler, but she couldn’t help it.

Chris couldn’t have truly comprehended much else, anyway, and she was extremely exhausted after her ordeal. “‘Night, Daddy,” she whispered, a few tears still trickling out of her eyes, and only partially from the pressure of the blanket on her sore bottom. She gave him another look then added: “Love you.” It was so soft it was almost inaudible.

Almost, but not quite.

* * *

That evening, Haley and Carly sat at the ship’s built-in restaurant, in a table separated from the others, with a nice view on the sea. The sky was painted in beautiful red and orange shades, like falling embers, and the summer breeze was warm as always in those Southern seas.

“Did she say she’d be down in a few minutes?” Haley inquired, worried.

Carly shrugged. “Give her time. She said she needed a shower first.”

He nodded and sighed, waiting.

In the cabin she shared with her friend, but where she was now alone, Chris was taking her time getting ready. She wasn’t particularly looking forward to this meeting, for reasons besides having to plant her swollen, bruised rear on a seat. She couldn’t put off the inevitable forever, however, and finally left the safety of the room, dressed only in a loose summer dress, with no panties. She had tried to put them on, but had eventually given up, after several loud yelps.

Before long she made her way to the deck, took a deep breath, and went to her parents. “Hey...” she said quietly, eyes downcast.

“Hey you,” Carly greeted back, smiling and moving Christy’s chair away from the table. Haley didn’t say anything and just smiled at his daughter, his eyes soon focusing on something else just as well. It was still burning, fresh as it was; probably not as much as the fire in her bottom, he thought, but it was burning. Carly patted the pillow she had placed on the chair minutes earlier. “Want to sit with us a bit? Fancy a little dinner, honey?”

Chris smiled at her mother’s thoughtful gesture. She hadn’t eaten anything since this morning, and while she didn’t feel totally up to it, she was also too hungry to refuse. “Yeah... thanks,” she nodded as she came around to the cushioned chair.

She winced as she sat down, unable to prevent it. She knew something was still up with her dad. She hadn’t been born yesterday; it didn’t take a fool to notice he wouldn’t even look at her. But the only reason why he was avoiding her gaze was that he didn’t feel good enough to just look her in the eye and carry on as if nothing had happened. Because it had happened, and there was no concealing it. He had never felt so bad about a spanking given to her, and somehow he feared it was not “just” because of the intensity of this one spanking. there was something more, something darker that he couldn’t quite focus.

After a long, long silence, he finally turned to her and said: “Your mother will take care of your spankings for a while, Chris.” He didn’t give any other explanation, just left it at that and hoped she wouldn’t notice the gleam in his eyes.

“I... well... I... okay...” Chris said slowly, trying to piece it all together and finding the right words. “But... but you can, you know... I still trust you, Daddy...”

The poor girl felt worthless, like she had just ruined everything she had ever known. She hadn’t caught the urgency in his voice, or she would never have dared to talk back. She just was trying to figure out what on Earth was going on. And true enough, Haley glared at her for a moment for talking back, but soon got back to watch the sunset.

Again, Carly stepped in, and sighed: “Chris, honey... your father thinks that after this afternoon, it’s better if he doesn’t spank you for a while. And not because he doesn’t care, quite the contrary; he feels that you wouldn’t accept it, and that it’s never going to be the same again.”

Haley just nodded, still not looking at his daughter. He just couldn’t bring himself to, somehow.

Chris nearly choked. She and her father had such a neat relationship, the best in the world, and she felt this was going to disrupt it all. Tears began to silently course down her cheeks. “Daddy, please, please don’t feel that way,” she begged, albeit quietly, so as not to attract attention to them.

That was too much even for him, and he turned to face her, trying himself to hold back tears. “Chris, it’s not your fault... but you don’t know how it feels for me to have to do that. I’m tempted to never, ever do it again, but I know you’d feel let down if I did that... that’s why we decided it’s going to be your mother for a while. Please baby, don’t think it’s because I don’t love you anymore or something, because it’s quite the opposite, believe me!” he said, almost desperate now.

Chris just stared at him in shock, and to some degree hurt. “I... Daddy, it’s because of what I said earlier, isn’t it?” she asked, rather choked up. It was obvious, but she couldn’t help asking.

He shook his head. “No... I mean, yes, but only a bit. It’s because I need some time off, Chris...”

“O-off what?...” she asked in a whisper.

“Off my job as a parent. I know this may sound awful to your ears, but this is too much strain all at once, and I can’t take it... I don’t know where this weakness comes from, but I need time to deal with it, and...” He took a deep breath and again looked away. “You’re such a wonderful girl, can you allow me some time to think, baby?” he said, almost pleading.

“Y-yes, Da...” Suddenly she stopped before finishing, and a sob elicited from her throat. “Can I even call you Daddy anymore?” she asked, hurting more than she wanted to let him know.

Haley nodded, sure at least of that, and he grabbed her hand and kissed it. “Of course you can, honey... I’m always your Daddy, that never changes.” Now it was him to practically beg for a hug, though he didn’t know how to say it, embarrassed and hurt as he was.

Honestly, the young girl didn’t even understand how he could always be her dad but need time away from being a parent, but she decided not to let it show. She leapt from her seat and threw her arms around her father. “Hurry back, Daddy, please?” she begged.

There was such genuine sweetness in that comment... That, and her hug, really did it for Haley, and in no time he was crying, hugging his daughter for all he was worth, squeezing her tight. “I love you Chris, never forget this... love you more than anything in the world.”

Chris just held onto her father, so many emotions flooding through her she could barely see straight. From the chair across the table, Carly couldn’t but watch, a hand covering her mouth, and silently muttering a prayer that they would manage to come out of this stronger, instead of weaker.

But she also knew it would be something very hard to achieve.

* * *

The following morning found the whole dance company ready to begin their first official performance of “Kiss Me Kate” ever, and, needless to say, spirits were running high in the group. Annabell Lee, the ship they were sailing on, had docked at a port in the Florida Keys, embarking several people. That resulted in an almost full auditorium, and among the crowd, Haley and Carly were sitting with the other parents and accompanying crew, waiting for the show to start. To say that they were being carefree, though, especially Haley, would be quite a lie: the events of the past days hadn’t been wiped from their minds quite yet, though the man hadn’t been able to find a way to deal with his own doubts yet.

Backstage, Chris straightened her scene costume and just waited for the director to give them a go. In her heart, she anxiously waited for her scene in which she got spanked onstage. There had been no more rehearsals since the last incident, and she knew that Kevin both held a grudge on her and knew she had been spanked, and harshly at that. Somehow she just knew he was going to pull something, and the thought made her stomach tie up in knots even more.

At long last the house lights dimmed, though, and the show began. Chris’s acting skills paid off, letting her act through her pain; she danced and sang at the top of her ability, doing a really impressive performance... but finally the dreaded the scene arrived. She could only hope that he would do no more than he was supposed to. It wasn’t to be, however. After running away from him as choreographed, Kevin wrestled her down over the table that was part of the set’s tavern. What happened next she wasn’t prepared for: the young man took the belt from his costume and began whipping her! True, it couldn’t be too hard, but over the still-present welts and bruises, it hurt plenty. This time, her yells and screams were real, as were her struggles to get away.

Haley and Carly, along with the rest of the crowd, sat through the show just watching it go scene after scene, focusing mostly on Christy’s performance, of course, and she was doing so good that especially Haley was starting to have second thoughts about it all. He realised, if it was ever needed, just how much he loved her, and how much he wanted to be a father to her, no matter what the difficulties on their path. Then, when that Kevin boy took off his belt and started whipping Chris with it, he felt his heart stop and his face went blank. He caught his daughter’s eye for a second, and saw the hurt look, and felt a mighty rage mount.

By the time he was almost leaping off his seat, Carly had grabbed him and pulled him back down. “She can live through this... don’t ruin her show, we’ll deal with it later,” she mouthed, but it was only out of pure instinct that he listened, and really remained seated. He couldn’t stand that sight, and when the infamous scene ended - too late for his taste - and the show resumed, Haley was sure he was catching real tears in Chris’s eyes. He felt worse than ever in his life.

Onstage, Chris had no idea what was going on in her father’s mind; all she could hope was that this wasn’t going to make things more difficult in getting him back as a parent. She struggled to get through the last few scenes before the end of the act, and then raced off stage to the bathroom, where she began sobbing her heart out. Still, she had limited time, and now needed a make-up repair. After several minutes devoted to self-pity, she got herself together and exited the room, walking quite stiffly. She suddenly saw Kevin taking long strides in her direction, and she tried her hardest to get away, but it wasn’t to be, and before long he had her looking straight at him. She expected there to be a glimmer of glee, excitement, and selfishness in the boy’s eyes... but instead there was a little hint of kindness.

“Chris... I know you were technically punished and all, but I felt you needed it from the person you had hurt as well. I... didn’t realize just how bad off you were, though.”

Her eyes flashed with anger. “Yeah, so you thought you’d get revenge. Didn’t you learn anything about this whole payback shit?” she hissed, not wanting to be heard by the audience.

The boy’s eyes narrowed. “Look, I was coming over to apologise, but if this is how you’re going to act...” he said as he started to turn away.

Christy sighed, “No, wait. I deserved it, and you deserved to see payback. But next time just talk to me, okay? Don’t do that again...”

Surprisingly enough, he nodded, and they both smiled back at one another. By the end of the show, the transformation that was supposed to be seen in “Kate” was also seen in Christy: the passionate kiss shared by the two stars in the end, which was done because the characters had mutual respect for one another, was quite real.

At the end of the show, the applause was long and heartfelt. The young teenagers had really scored, and, useless to mention, both Haley and Carly were ecstatic as well. But there was something the man had to settle before he could feel good again, and as he stepped backstage while the crowd slowly filed out of the auditorium, he wondered how to word what he was going to say to Chris. He had no doubts on Kevin, though: he was just going to grab his collar, shove him against a wall, yell in his face and scare him till he peed in his pants, then sue him and his stupid parents, and make sure they would suffer, and...

He realised all of a sudden he was feeling vengeful too. What supreme irony! But that stream of thoughts in his head came to a halt when he saw his daughter and that boy close to one another, not exactly looking “happy”, but talking and complimenting each other about the performance, and definitely not glaring at each other like the previous day.

Once again at a loss for words, he approached the two and patted Chris’s shoulder. “Hey princess. Great job, I’m proud of you,” he said, to which she smiled broadly - especially at being called ‘princess’. But then he glared at Kevin, waiting for him to say something.

The boy just stared back, not quite knowing what to say. “Mr. Brimley, I... well, your daughter and I have kinda talked and... haven’t we, Chris?”

Chris chewed on her lower lip nervously. “Daddy... umm... about what happened on stage tonight... Kevin and I agreed that how he handled it was wrong but... still... I deserved it, and it kinda cleared the air between us. I mean... he apologised and everything for how he went about it, even though I got what I deserved, and... Oh Daddy, please don’t be mad at him!” Tears sprung from the teen’s eyes, not from pain, this time, but from fear for someone else whom she had previously hated. “Daddy, after last night, you sorta opened up my mind to things, and it’s really all right!”

Haley listened and nodded all along, while Kevin did and said nothing, but just watched the two of them, he too looking rather nervous. The man didn’t know what was more surprising about it all - Chris’s willingness to forgive that boy so soon, or the boy being convinced that he was right.

“Well, I’m going to tell you this, guys... Kevin, what Chris did to you was a result of what you did to her, and I didn’t see anyone punish you for that. Her actions resulted in punishment from me, and as far as I’m concerned, you deserve an equally harsh punishment. And next time I see you raise a hand on my daughter, and let alone a belt, I’ll make you feel sorry you were ever born, do you understand?” He shot him a death glare, mustering all of his sternness. “This said, I’m glad to see you two worked it out alright... and that you both see how revenge isn’t the way,” he concluded. There was much more he meant to say to Chris, but not in front of that boy: “If you’ll please leave us alone for a few minutes...” he added, then, looking meaningfully at him.

Kevin just nodded, a nervous look in his eyes. “Errr... yessir... I promise I won’t, sir...” And with that he fled. Chris looked up at her father with a mix of fear and relief. She had no idea what was going on in her father’s mind, but she knew that, like what it was or not, she was about to find out.

“Chris, honey...” Haley started, not quite sure what to say. He sighed and walked for a few seconds before finding the words. “First off, I don’t like him and never will, I don’t care if you made up or whatever. Please stay away from him in the future, off-stage, that is,” he said, looking stern. Then he softened and continued: “It’s beautiful to see you learnt your lesson, though... and again, I wanted to apologise for the way I spanked you.”

Tears sprung from the pretty girl’s eyes. “Daddy... it... it’s okay. I deserved what you gave me. I’ll... just be hurting a while... but I’ll get over it. You... scared me some, but it’s okay. But... Daddy... why can’t Kevin and I be friends? Not close friends... I don’t think I could do that... but it’s okay now, we can get along... I don’t understand why you won’t let it go,” she admitted. “I still love you after what you did and I want you around me, mostly because you’ve apologised and realized how harsh that was for me. It’s the same with him: he realizes what he did wrong, he apologised... what more can you want from him?”

Sighing again, Haley sit on a bench and ran his fingers through his hair, thoughtful. That was a good question. A lot of good questions, actually. Taking his daughter’s wrist and pulling her to him, he held her close. “I don’t know honey, I really don’t know... I just get the feeling he’s a hot head and will be dangerous for you again, like that Alyssa was. And really, I understand I can’t control your friendships... but I wish I could, damnit!” he snapped, then quickly apologised. “I’m sorry. What I’m trying to say is that I hate it that I hurt you, and I fear someone else will because of that, and I feel I can never apologise enough... And mostly, that I was wrong: there’s no such thing as ‘taking some time off being your father’, because I always am and you can’t change the fact that I’ll worry about you every thing you do. Can you understand that?”

Chris tried to digest everything. She really didn’t agree with the whole Kevin issue, but at the moment, it was the least of her worries, because those last words meant more than a thousand speeches, or a thousand spankings, at that.

“Does... does this mean you’re going to be my father again? And punish me again if I need it... or....?” She looked at him helplessly and hopefully.

Haley nodded convincingly. “I’ll always be your father, and yes, I will punish you myself if you need it. But no more belts, or big paddles, that’s not good for you. I think I can show you when you’ve been doing wrong with this...” he patted her rump delicately with his large hand, “... and this,” he kissed her forehead. “I so want to be your dad, if you want to be my daughter.”

That did it. Christy broke out into deep sobs, flinging her arms around her father. Although her voice was slightly muffled by her dad’s shirt, her mumbles could just be understood. “I want it more than anything. Spank me any way you want. Just no belts... but even if that’s what it takes, I want you as my daddy... I’m so sorry... so so so sorry...” By this point she was starting to become hysterical, totally oblivious to any of the cast members still hanging around backstage.

“Shh it’s alright honey, come here,” Haley murmured in her ear as he wrapped her lithe body in his arms. Casting a few glances sideways, that discouraged anyone from looking on, he clung to Christy as she was clinging to him, and wouldn’t stop kissing her face and head and hair.

“I’m always here for you, sweetheart, I understand that now. But you must understand that I can make mistakes, like anyone. I was wrong with the belt, and maybe I’m wrong about Kevin, I don’t know, but... I’m willing to try and do better with you. Do you think we can work things out?” he asked, still keeping her very close.

Before the girl could answer, though, Carly came out of the blue and placed a hand on both of their shoulders. “That’s a good question, honey.”

In-between her sobs, Chris nodded her head violently. “Yes... yes we can work it out. God, we can work it out. Just don’t leave me again... please Daddy... I’m sorry I made you feel like you aren’t a good dad just... please stay!”

“No one is going to leave anyone here,” Carly cut in again before her husband could answer. “We are a family. We do things together, and we face them together, don’t we?”

Haley promptly nodded, and enclosed Chris in another tight hug. “I’m not going anywhere, baby. It was my fault as it was yours. And now kiss me Chris,” he said, meaning every word of it.

The relief that flooded Christy’s tiny frame came in such a rush she could barely stand it. She hadn’t realized just how worried she truly was, just how much of an act she was carrying. “I’m sorry... I love you Daddy...” And she planted a huge kiss on his cheek.

She took a few more minutes enveloped in his large hug before detaching. She then turned to her mother for the same comfort, and Carly hugged her too, giving her share of affectionate kisses. Not caring at all about the people still somewhat eyeing them, the Brimleys walked away from the backstage close to each other, once again feeling they could leave another accident behind and move on.

* * *

But that night, on the ship’s main deck, Haley stood watching the moon and the waves, his mind wandering, dwelling on many things. He barely noticed when Carly touched his shoulder.

“Fancy some company?” she asked.

“Of course,” he replied. “Sorry if I wasn’t at dinner. Was Chris upset or anything?”

Carly sighed gently. “She was a little worried it had to do with her, but I think I managed to convince her that you just needed some time alone.” She wrapped a supportive arm around her husband’s shoulder. “What’re you thinking of, honey?”

He nodded, then took her hand and shrugged. “About my father. You know what a creep he was, and that I’ve been raised by my siblings. He never cared, and... well, now I’m not even totally sorry he’s gone. But I loved him back then, despite everything, and I was wondering what Chris is going to think of us in, say, fifty years from now. Do you think we’re doing the right thing with her?”

Carly paused a minute, trying to gain complete control of her thoughts. After giving a deep sigh, she spoke: “Before yesterday, how many times has she edged away from you after a spanking?”

Sighing just as well, Haley shook his head. “Never. She never was happy about it of course... and could feel a little resentful at times, but... never like that.”

“Sweetie, I really don’t feel that she will think any less of us because we spank her than if we, say, grounded her. Although... we could always ask. Let’s allow her to be the one to decide from now on whether she gets spanked or punished some other way.” The delicate mother who looked surprisingly like her daughter shrugged. “If you want my honest opinion, I think she would opt for the spanking. She has never felt that a spanking wasn’t given out of love until yesterday, and she does know it was a mistake. She doesn’t hate you; she wouldn’t have been so anxious to have you back in her life if she did.”

Haley raised an eyebrow. “That’s flawless,” he said. “And I think you’re right, she’s old enough to choose on what consequences bad behaviour will bring to... perhaps it will even make her more responsible. But to be sincere, I’m worried that she wanted to have me back just because she didn’t want to hurt me... you know how much she wants to please others, especially us.”

“Honey, what I saw in that child’s eyes today was not the fear of hurting you, but the fear of losing you. You couldn’t see her, but the relief in that girl’s eyes...” Carly turned away, wiping silent tears from her eyes. “You really hurt her, you know. And you scared me. Not just because of the spanking, but how you treated her afterwards. I wasn’t sure how it would turn out. If our family would be torn apart. And I know you didn’t want it brought back up but I feel you need to hear it. Your daughter wants to be your daughter. You just need to wake up and realize it.”

Few people could get to Haley like his wife: there was such sweetness and wisdom in her that he was always taken aback. Taking her arm, he gently spun her back to face him, and looked in her teary eyes. “I did that because I was scared, and because I was sure she would hate me. She was scared of me and I beat her raw, what was I supposed to think?... But you’re right, and I’m seeing it just now. I couldn’t, and can’t back off. She’s my daughter and I want to be her dad too... I’ll never let her down again, I can promise you that. But honey, sometimes it’s hard, and I need your help too. You don’t know how it’s like to be the one she looks up to, and at the same time the one she’s afraid of. Sometimes I don’t know what to think, or how to behave, and those times are hard.”

Carly smiled through her tears, and gently touched her husband’s arm. “It’s called being a parent,” she said softly. “And I do know, to some extent. Perhaps not as much as you do after yesterday, but I’ve had plenty of times when I’ve spanked her. I know how awful a feeling it is when your own child is afraid of you. But it’s something we are obligated to do. If it wasn’t her being scared of pain, it would be her being scared of losing her privileges... you know we need to punish her, somehow. It’s the dirtiest part of bringing her up, but also the most useful.”

“I know, I know,” Haley smiled too, nodding. “But sometimes it’s harder to remember... but you always seem so wise, I don’t know how you do it.” He leaned over and gently pressed his lips onto hers, and she returned the soft kiss. “Thank you. Sometimes I feel like I’d give an arm to spare her even the smallest trouble, the tiniest pain or hurdle... but that would hardly do her good. We’ll keep doing what we must, no matter how hard it is,” he concluded with another smile. “We can just hope she understands it’s all for her benefit.”

“And she will, honey, she will. She’s an intelligent young lady and minus the incident last night, she already knows this. And she’s willing to forgive you for that. Now you just need to forgive yourself.” As she said those last words she put her hands over his and put them over his heart, all the while looking deeply into Haley’s troubled eyes.

“That’s going to be harder,” he said, his eyes glistening as he returned the loving look. “But if Chris could do it... and you could do it... then perhaps I can too, can’t I?” He took their hands up from his chest and kissed them. “I love you honey.”

“And I you.”

– The End –

This story does not necessarily represent the authors’ point of view about anything. It is simply a work of fiction . The characters herein portrayed are invented and do not resemble reality to the best of the authors’ knowledge. This account is entirely fictitious . Any similarities to other persons, living or deceased, is purely coincidental.

This story is written for the sane amusement of adult readers. It does not intend harm and does not promote violence of any kind, including spanking. No offence is meant to any group, ethnicity or individuals.

The authors do not necessarily endorse the non-consensual disciplinary spanking of actual children and / or teenagers.

Copyright © 2004 Haley Brimley , Christy . Contact for information and / or feedback.