Olivia's ears perked up when she heard a string of obscenities coming from the other room. She walked in to find Alex sitting in front of her laptop typing away furiously, with files spread out all around her.

"What's going on in here?" Olivia asked calmly.

"Somebody screwed up in the report for the freaking Talisman case. Now I've got to go all the way to work on a Saturday and pray that there's a damn judge around!" Alex complained loudly as she stood and began to pack her files away in her briefcase.

"Okay, but before you do that, you and I need to have a little chat."

For the first time, Alex looked up at her wife, who looked anything but happy, and her backside clenched involuntarily. Whenever Olivia told her that they needed to "have a little chat", Alex usually ended up with a red bottom. She wracked her brain for anything she may have done to incur Olivia's displeasure, and came up with nothing.

"Oh… um… did I do something wrong, Liv?" Alex's hands automatically went back to protect her jean-clad bottom.

"Well, young lady, what do you think of the language I just heard coming out of your mouth?"

Alex suddenly looked devastated, and her hand flew to cover her mouth. Foul language was one of the things that Olivia tolerated the least, and Alex knew that her bare bottom would pay dearly for this unfortunate slip of the tongue.

"I… I'm sorry, ma'am. I was just so frustrated… I didn't mean to!" Alex was suddenly dangerously close to tears, and Olivia welcomed her into her arms, stroking Alex's long blonde hair soothingly, and then forcing Alex to look into her eyes by holding Alex's chin in her hand.

"I know you didn't mean to, baby. You never mean to misbehave. I know it was a mistake, and it's my job to help you learn from your mistakes. Do you understand that, sweetheart?"

"Yes, ma'am." Alex sighed, resigned to her inevitable fate.

"Good girl," Olivia kissed Alex's forehead, "now, off to the bedroom and into the corner with you. Jeans and panties around your knees, hands on your head." Olivia sent Alex off to the bedroom with a crisp swat to her bottom.

For once, Alex didn't argue about having to stand in the dreaded corner. Olivia was slightly surprised, but she took it as a sign that Alex was truly feeling bad for her behavior, which was a good thing. It would make what Olivia had to do a little bit easier on both of them.

Alex walked into the bedroom and walked straight to the corner. She fumbled with the snap on her jeans and managed to get her jeans and panties around her knees, then she put her hands on her head. She hoped that her cooperation would earn her a more lenient punishment. She faced the wall and tried not to burst into tears.

When Olivia walked into the bedroom, she left Alex in the corner while she looked through their collection of implements, debating which one to use on her darling's pretty bottom. She did take Alex's cooperation into consideration, though by the time Olivia was finished with her, Alex wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Olivia was very loving, but also very strict. Finally, Olivia picked up the medium-weight leather strap. She thought it appropriate for today's punishment. She sat down on the bed and called Alex to her.

"Alex, come here, please."

Alex lowered her hands from her head and turned from the corner. With her jeans and panties still at her knees, she managed to shuffle over to where Olivia sat. She knelt down in front of her disciplinarian, and looked up at her repentantly.

"Do you understand why you are being punished, baby?"

"Yes, ma'am. I am being punished for using foul language. Foul language is not allowed."

"Why is foul language not allowed?"

"Because I am better than that."

"Yes, you are. Come over my lap, please."

Alex got up and draped herself across Olivia's lap. She positioned herself to make her bottom a perfect target for the strap. She placed her right hand in the small of her back so that Olivia could restrain it, and she used her left hand to grasp the hem of Olivia's jeans for comfort and support. She buried her face in Olivia's leg, dampening the denim material with the tears that were beginning to fall.

Olivia took hold of Alex's hand and held it firmly in the small of Alex's back. The last time Alex had earned the strap, she had not been able to keep her hand out of the way and Olivia had narrowly missed hitting it, so Olivia decided that from then on when Alex needed a spanking, Olivia would restrain her hand. Olivia picked up the strap and began punishing her beloved wife.

Despite Alex's attempts to take her punishment quietly, she soon found herself sobbing and crying loudly. She ended up kicking her feet and squirming on Olivia's lap in an attempt to alleviate some of the pain. After a few rounds of this, Olivia paused for a moment and addressed her distraught wife sternly but compassionately.

"Sweetheart, I know it hurts, but you need to stay still for me. Do you need me to restrain your legs for you?"

"Ye-yes, ma'am, please. I'm s-s-sorry! B-but it h-hurts so m-much….."

"I know it hurts, baby. Stand on up and put your hands on your head. No rubbing."

Alex took a deep, shuddery breath and pushed herself up off Olivia's lap and immediately put her hands on her head. She waited while Olivia went to the closet and retrieved Alex's ankle weights. Olivia knelt down and attached the weights around Alex's ankles. Then she sat back down on the bed and patted her lap. Alex took the hint and repositioned herself exactly as before. Briefly, she considered begging for her spanking to end, but she knew it wouldn't do her any good, so she merely laid there and wept as Olivia once again restrained her hand and picked up the strap. This time, though, Olivia gave a loving squeeze to Alex's right hand before resuming the harsh but well-deserved punishment. Alex took courage in this loving gesture.

Alex didn't even notice when Olivia put the strap down and began to lovingly rub Alex's heaving back and tenderly massage the back of her hand with her thumb. Alex knew that Olivia was speaking to her, but she was so wrapped up in the pain that she couldn't make out what she was saying. Olivia seemed to know that her words weren't being understood, so she just sat there while Alex sobbed and inspected the damage that the strap had done, determining that it would be thoroughly healed in a day or two. Alex had such a grip on Olivia's hand that the detective thought her knuckles would fuse together, but she didn't mind. Olivia reached over and let Alex's ankle weights drop to the floor. They had done their job well today.

Finally, Alex seemed to calm down. Her grip on Olivia's hand lessened when she realized that she was no longer being strapped. She tried to speak, but at the moment her speech was hampered by her crying.

"Shhhhhhh. It's okay, baby. You don't have to try to talk. It's all over, and I love you very much."

"C-cu-cuddles?" Alex begged.

"Of course, sweetie."

Olivia assisted Alex in turning over so she was wrapped in Olivia's arms face up. Alex threw her arms around Olivia's neck and sobbed on her shoulder. Olivia held Alex tightly, rocking and kissing and cuddling her.

"I still need to go down to the office." Alex groaned when she had calmed down a bit. Olivia rubbed her back comfortingly.

"How about we go together? When you're done we can go out for lunch to that sushi place you like so much."

Olivia knew that she was spoiling Alex, but she knew that Alex needed to feel forgiven. She smiled when Alex took hold of Olivia's wrist and looked at the detective's watch.

"It's only half past noon, baby. Did you think it was a lot later?"

"Yeah." Alex sniffled and rested her head on Olivia's shoulder.

"I bet it seemed like a very long spanking." Olivia sympathized as Alex cried out the last of her tears. Alex nodded in agreement.

"Liv?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"Thanks for taking care of me." Alex smiled up at Olivia.

"My pleasure, baby." Olivia kissed Alex full on the lips.