'He's going to be pissed, you know that?'
'Yeah'
This is Hunter's reaction to Bobbi's determination to go down with the ship on the day SHIELD fell, as shown in the flashback sequences in 2x15, set around 2x08/2x09.
Contains consensual disciplinary spanking of an adult.
Laying in bed next to Hunter, Bobbi felt more content than she had in a while, perhaps since before the fall of SHIELD had turned her world – the organization she'd given her life to - upside down. Lost in thought, ruminating on what used to be, she was taken aback when Hunter turned over in bed to face her and said simply
'If we're going to carry on doing this, we need to talk Bob'
Momentarily confused, Bobbi replied, rather too cuttingly, she had to admit
'What about, you're not usually one for words?'
Glancing at her, with a pointed look that somehow made her want to squirm, Hunter sighed and leaned back against the headboard.
'You know I spent a while with Isobel Hartley after Hydra took over, working freelance and the like?'
Bobbi nodded slowly, beginning to get a sneaking suspicion that she knew where this was going.
'Well, she told me an interesting story, about someone she was with when the Iliad was taken over, who gave her a certain token to give to her ex husband. Apparently she was intending to go 'down with the ship' as it were'.
You wouldn't know anything about that would you Bob? Hunter added, his tone suddenly dripping with sarcasm.
At that Bobbi felt her cheeks flush, and lowered her gaze, drawing her knees up into her chest, subconsciously forming her most protective stance. She didn't know what to say, she had been well aware at the time Hunter 'was going to be pissed' at her actions like Hartley had said, but she truthfully hadn't expected to be around to face his reaction. Just at this moment, she wasn't entirely glad that she was.
'I… you have to understand how hopeless the situation seemed, we were outnumbered five to one, and I couldn't let Hydra get their hands on the cargo that ship was carrying, I had my orders!'
'Yeah, Barbara, orders you volunteered to take, did you have no consideration for your own life?'
Wincing at the use of her full name, Hunter didn't usually make it even all the the way to 'Bobbi', she felt unable to reply, and instead carried on staring down at her feet, not wanting to meet Hunter's eyes.
In response, Hunter moved to the end of the bed, so he was sitting cross legged facing her, reached out and took her chin in his hand, moving her head gently upwards so that she couldn't avoid meeting his gaze.
'Do you remember what you said to me after I risked my life, 'purposefully' as you put it, that time in Moscow?'
Inclining her head in acknowledgement, because how could she forget, Bobbi reluctantly replied,
'I said what's the point of saying 'don't die out there' if you don't do your part'.
Hunter nodded, looking relieved that she remembered, he had always seemed to think she valued their relationship less than he did.
'Do you think you did your part that day Bob?'
'I…'
At her non – response something in Hunter seemed to snap, and instead of speaking to her calmly like he had been previously, the man jumped off the bed, pacing the room and exclaimed:
'I know we weren't… aren't together anymore, but I still need you alive, and volunteering for a suicide mission is not doing your part Barbara, don't tell me you don't see that!
Taken aback by the vehemence of his speech, Bobbi was rendered somewhat speechless. She'd wrestled with the action she'd been determined to make before Mack and Hartley had intervened, for a long time, and while she didn't think she was entirely in the wrong, she knew, as she'd known at the time, that it was not fair to Hunter, that it could definitely not be counted as 'doing her part'. Despite this, she never was one to go down without a fight, and this time was no exception.
'Dammit Hunter' she exploded, 'it was my decision to make! Someone had to prevent Hydra from taking that ship, and it looked like the only way! It's not like you'd have cared anyway, I'm a 'demonic hell beast' remember?'
At her words, Hunter advanced across the room to tower over her in her seated position, and as he did so Bobbi could see the fire in his eyes, and she began to wonder if perhaps she'd pushed him too far this time.
'You KNOW that isn't true Bob, you KNOW I still care for you. No matter what I might jest to Mack and the guys, no matter how much we fall out, how much we fight, I will always love you!'
Now abashed at her harsh words, Bobbi gazed up at him, reminded of how they'd been when they first met, how caring he could be, and how she really did know he still cared for her.
'I know Hunter, and I'm sorry. I knew you'd be pissed'
Rolling his eyes at her, seemingly in exasperation, Hunter added, rather more calmly,
'it's not about me being pissed Bob, it's about you volunteering for something that you must have known would end in your own death! If you can tell me that you honestly didn't know that you wouldn't come back from that mission then I'll leave this alone, but somehow I don't think you can!'
Gazing up at him, Bobbi gave a small shake of her head, something she knew he'd correctly accept as her confession that he was right, that she hadn't expected to come back that day.
'Well then, do you remember what you did to me after Moscow, what I did after your stunt in Morocco? It's what I would've done already if we'd been together these last few months. I actually wouldn't be surprised if this is exactly why Hartley told me, she always was surprisingly perceptive about our relationship'.
Bobbi suddenly found herself unable to look at him once more, she knew only too well what it was he was referring to. She also suspected that he was entirely correct regarding Isobel Hartley's motivations in telling him this particular story.
'I remember our arrangement' she said reluctantly, not at all pleased about where this was going.
'Would you like to spell it out then darling' Hunter asked sarcastically, his eyes glinting in a way she hadn't seen since their time in Morocco.
'Ever since we discovered that we both have an unfortunate tendency to put our lives at risk, when one of us is needlessly reckless, the other… handles it'
'Like to be a little more specific Bob?'
Shaking her head as she answered, Bobbi let flippant words spill out her lips
'the other person discourages such reckless actions'
'By…?' Hunter added, looking more exasperated than ever at her attempt to delay the inevitable
Looking down at her hands, which seemed oddly unsteady, Bobbi added at a whisper
'Spanking'
'That's right Bob.'
Turning away for a moment, Hunter moved over to her desk on the opposite side of the room, and drew out the chair, turning it to face her before sitting down.
'It's your choice Bobbi, but I don't know that I can carry on whatever 'this' is without this, I need to know that you won't risk your life like that again'
Bobbi felt a pang of something g she couldn't quite identify run through her, something akin to fear or guilt, she didn't know, but despite that she knew what her answer would be. Hunter meant too much to her to be lost like this, and however unpleasant it was, for better or for worse they had made their arrangement.
She stood up slowly, and reluctantly, tentatively, crossed the room to stand in front of him.
Hunter glanced up at her, relieved, both at her choice, and at the fact that she was only wearing her underwear, he was still angry, but had no wish to humiliate her by divesting her of her normal layers of clothing.
Still resolved to do what he knew she needed, he gestured towards his waiting lap, and was incredibly relieved when she bent over it of her accord.
Bobbi sensed his relief at her compliance, but having made her choice, she really had no wish to prolong this any more than she already had, having had to wrestle with the choice she'd made alone for far too long now. She had no doubt this would hurt; Hunter always had been thorough, but she knew from experience that she would feel so much better when it was over.
Her reverie was suddenly broken by a hard stinging SLAP landing on her exposed backside, the sting of the first swat hurting so much more than she'd remembered.
Hunter forced himself to be merciless in the punishment, landing swat after forceful swat on his ex wife's small behind. Truthfully he was no longer angry at her, at least not as angry as he'd been when Isobel had first told him, but he was determined to make sure that she remembered this, next time she was tempted to sacrifice her life for others. The fact that he was sure there would be a next time was one of the reasons he loved her so much, it was a tendency both of them shared, but he still felt bound to prevent that sacrificial streak that so often caused her to put herself at risk.
Hearing her start to moan from the pain of the punishment, as he landed swat after swat over her simple black panties, and feeling her start to squirm, to try to escape from the relentless swats, he tilted her forward, and pulled her panties down to her knees, allowing him easier access to her tender and so far untouched sit spots.
Feeling herself be suddenly shifted forward, her panties pulled down leaving her bottom more vulnerable than ever, Bobbi gritted her teeth, determined not to give in under the onslaught she knew was coming.
As if he knew what she was trying to do, Hunter chose that moment to accompany a fresh volley of swats with scolding, punctuating his words with strong swats to her upper thighs
'Why… SWAT… do we… SWAT… say don't… SWAT… die… SWAT… out… SWAT… there?'
So we… Oww Hunter it hurts so much!'
'it's supposed to Bobbi, answer the question!' Hunter said, adding another round of swats as encouragement.
SWAT SWAT SWAT SWAT SWAT
Encouraged by this Bobbi forced out an answer
So we… OWW… remember not to… OWW… risk our lives needlessly!' Bobbi exclaimed, before finally succumbing to the tears she'd held back for far too long.
Nodding, seeing that she was getting the point finally, Hunter added a last round of swats, harder than the previous ones, before adding
'Next time, what choice will you make Bob?'
Through her tears, Bobbi managed to reply in a tone that held more than a little sass.
'The one that doesn't lead me here!'
Hearing the sincerity behind the tone, Hunter added one last stinging swat, causing Bobbi to yelp loudly, before carefully manoeuvring Bobbi so that she was sitting upright on his lap, allowing her to cry into his shoulder, letting go of her guilt.
Balanced against Hunter's chest, her backside throbbing incessantly, Bobbi knew she shouldn't, but somehow she felt better than she had in a long time, having let go of the guilt that had been eating at her since the fall of SHIELD.
After allowing her to cry out the pent up emotions she'd been supressing, Hunter helped Bobbi up, helping her walk gingerly over to the bed and lay down on her stomach, making sure her behind, now painted a deep red, didn't make contact with the bed.
Receiving a small smile for his troubles, Hunter watched until, exhausted from her ordeal, Bobbi fell easily into a deep sleep, only then slipping out of her room towards his own quarters on the other side of the Playground.
Bobbi woke up the next morning, turned over, and was immediately reminded of what had taken place the night before – the fire in her bottom burning anew. She pulled herself out of bed with a grimace, and selected her very loosest clothing from the tiny closet, before heading downstairs to try and start her usual morning workout.
As she walked down the corridors, she felt sure that everyone she met must know what had happened, but it wasn't until she reached the gym and found Mack already engaged in training that she felt sure someone did.
'Hunter found out then huh?'
She smiled wryly, if anyone could tell it would be Mack, before replying
'Hartley told him apparently, she said he'd be pissed, and lets just say… he was'
At that she let her hand stray to her behind, the ache still very much present.
'I don't blame him, you mean a lot to him you know Bobbi'
'Believe, me I know, he made that very clear' she retorted, before crossing the room in an attempt to begin her workout.
Halfway across the room she felt Mack add a solid swat to her behind, causing her to yelp and turn around, ready to protest until Mack said
'you mean a lot to me too, remember that'
Rubbing at her now extremely sore behind, she replied honestly
'Oh believe me I will!'.