For Jasper's Mom and itsmecoon. You both rock :) Oh yeah and thank you itsmecoon for being my beta :)
It's Adam's Fault:
"This is your fault," Joe grumbled sitting on the settee waiting for their father to come home, where Hop Sing had ordered them to sit close to an hour before.
His eight year old twin glared at him before pushing him hard and saying,
"It was your idea."
"No it wasn't."
"The cow part was."
"But going…" Joe was stopped by Hop Sing saying angrily,
"No talk."
"Hop Sing, we said we were sorry," Jax tried again. It hadn't worked earlier when he lit into them with his spoon.
"We didn't mean for that to happen," Joe tried.
"And you spanked us hard with the spoon. So you really don't have to tell Pa," Jax begged.
"Tell Pa, what?" Ben asked walking into the house. It had been a long day and he really wasn't in the mood to deal with his twins this evening.
Hoss walked in seeing the twins siting on the settee he decided that maybe he needed to go back outside. His baby brother and sister must have done something to make their father mad within the thirty seconds he had been there or they did something to really irk Hop Sing, something that was extremely hard to do.
"Hoss, will you please finish your brother and sister's chores?" Ben asked looking at his son.
"Yes sir," Hoss said happy to be leaving the house. If his baby brother and sister were about to get a spanking he really didn't want to be there. It was hard enough hearing Little Joe cry but hearing Jax cry always broke his heart in two.
"So?" Ben asked sitting on the coffee table so he could look his twins' right in the eye.
"Pa, it was an accident," Jax started.
"What was an accident Jacqueline?"
"We didn't mean for the stupid cow to get out," Joe blurted getting a hard push from his sister.
"We were playing and it kinda escaped," Jax started knowing that her brother already blown the lie she had worked out.
"Which cow?" Ben asked in a dangerous voice fearing that it really wasn't a cow but the bull that was in the main corral due to his well, extremely hostile nature.
"The one on the far side of the horse corrals," Joe said his voice shaking a little. Their father had already warned them to stay away from those corrals, well, actually all of the corrals.
"Children lie. They want go town, that why bull into garden. Hope to distract Hop Sing," Hop Sing said angrily.
Ben grabbed Joe and landed five extremely hard swats before doing the same to his twin.
"I want the truth and your lying just bought you a second spanking tomorrow night."
"Pa," they both whined.
"I want the whole story right now!"
"This is Adam's fault," Jax started deciding to try and shift the blame.
"Your brother lives in Boston, how's it his fault?" Ben snapped.
Joe looked at Jax and they decided just to fess up and deal with the consequences as they came.
Earlier That Day:
"Hop Sing, where's Pa," Jax said rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she walked down the stairs.
"Problem in Lumber Camps. He say do chores and stay in yard," Hop Sing said setting the twin's breakfast on the table.
"But it's letter day," Joe whined.
"Problem with Lumber Camp come first. Eat breakfast and go outside to play. Hop Sing busy."
Jax and Joe watched as Hop Sing walked into the kitchen.
"That's not fair," Jax pouted.
"I know, Adam said he was sending us something this week and we've been patient. Pa knew we wanted to go to town with him this morning," Joe said.
"Let's go."
"How? Hop Sing will never let us go."
"We could let that calf out and it'll get into the garden so Hop Sing will be too busy to notice we're gone."
"How are we going to get there?"
"Our new horses would be faster than the ponies," Jax said smiling.
"Pa said we can't ride them yet."
"Well we're doing a lot of things Pa says we can't. Don't you want to ride Cochise?"
"Yeah, but the saddle's too heavy."
"Not if we do it together."
"Sis, you're the best," Joe said finishing up his breakfast.
They decided to do their morning chores before they left. Once they were finished they saddled up the horses they were going to get next week for their birthday. Pa said they couldn't ride them until they were nine and he had given them riding lessons for about a month or so.
They were able to saddle both horses by standing on bales of hay. Ben had made sure the horses were well broken or he wouldn't have trusted them with his youngest even after months of riding lessons. Jax and Joe didn't know that, all they cared about was the adventure not that their father was wrong about what they could do.
"I saw Pa put that baby calf whose Ma died over here," Joe said opening the corral.
"If we leave it open, hopefully it will get in the garden and Hop Sing won't…" Jax stopped her eyes getting huge.
"What?" Joe asked.
Jax tried to shut the gate but the bull was already charging.
"MOVE!" Joe said pushing his sister out of the way.
They watched as the bull rushed out of the gate.
"We have to get it back in," Jax said in alarm.
"How? We can't fight a bull! Pa won't even let Hoss near one."
"We can't let him get away either. We have to come up with a plan and get him back in or Pa will blister our hides."
"And we won't get Adam's surprise," Joe said.
"And we won't get our horses. We have to do this and I know we can."
Jax and Joe watched as the bull rushed around the yard, both hoping that Hop Sing wouldn't come out. Having a baby calf running around loose was one thing but a 1000 pound raging bull was quite another.
"Joe," Jax said her voice shaking as the bull neared the garden.
"I know, we need to hurry or we're dead."
"How about we lure it in with food?" Jax suggested.
"Maybe, it wouldn't hurt to try," Joe said running into the barn for some feed. A few seconds later he emerged with a bucket full of feed.
"Let me do it. I'm quieter than you are."
The bull was already in the garden by the time Jax walked over to it.
"Come on little bull, this is so much yummier. Come on," Jax started to coax.
Charlie Becket walked out of the bunkhouse just as Jax was about to reach the bull. He swore in his head. If yelled at the little girl and startled the bull it could trample her, but he also couldn't just leave the kid standing that close to an animal that they were thinking about putting down because of how dangerous it was. He wished he would have put a bullet in its head the night before, but Hoss was standing there so Ben wouldn't allow it. Ben would die if he saw his little girl right now.
"Jax, freeze," Charlie said as quietly as possible.
"It's ok. He likes me," Jax said almost within touching distance of the bull.
"Sweetheart, back away. I'll get him out of the garden and back in the pen, I promise."
"But…"
"Jacqueline Anne-Marie, if you do not back away from that animal I will turn you over my knee," Charlie said sternly. He had never ever threatened one of the Cartwright children, but he was scared to death right now and honestly if she didn't do what he said, he was going to follow up with that promise. "Now back away very very slowly. Do not get his attention."
Joe looked at his sister and shook his head yes. Charlie was usually a lot of fun and had covered for them more than once. If he was this serious something was really wrong.
Jax started to walk backwards as quietly as possible.
"That's it. One step at a time," Charlie same using the same tone of voice as Jax had with the bull.
That's when it happened. Jax stepped on a twig and the bull turned around started to charge, Charlie had it down within seconds.
"Why did you shoot it?" Jax asked tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Because he could have killed you, Jax," Charlie said taking the shaking little girl into his arms.
"Pa's going to be so mad," Joe said running over to his twin and hugging her tight.
"Hop Sing mad! I say stay out of trouble! Garden ruined!" Hop Sing yelled as he came out of the house startled by the gun fire.
"I'll leave them to you Hop Sing and we'll get the bull out of your garden for you in no time, just let me get some men. Just think you can have some fresh beef tomorrow for supper," Charlie said hoping it would spare the children a little trouble. He knew the cook would probably spank them and he knew the second Ben found out what his two youngest were up to today sitting would become a thing of the past.
"I no want beef! I want children behave!" Hop Sing said still angry. When he saw the bull going after Jax and almost died. She was like a daughter to him as were the other boys like his sons. "Inside."
"Charlie," Jax said.
"Yeah, Jax."
"Thanks for saving me. Can you ah do me and Joe another favor?"
"Sure."
"We kinda saddled our horses and we really aren't allowed to," Jax admitted.
"Your Pa is not going to be happy tonight," Charlie promised.
"No sir," Joe said putting his head down.
"Hop Sing is waiting for you two. Go inside and listen to him," Charlie said
"Yes sir," they both said somberly.
The two walked into the kitchen and saw Hop Sing holding a wooden spoon.
"You very bad children. Hop Sing very mad. Jax come," Hop Sing said angrily.
"Pa's already going to spank us when Charlie tell…OW…Hop…Sing," Jax said as Hop Sing grabbed her arm and started laying down hard swats with the spoon. "Please…I'm…sorry…"
Hop Sing stopped after fifteen good swats and said,
"Wittle Joe."
"Awe Hop Sing, don't use the spoon," Joe tried only to be met by the stinging sensation of the spoon.
"Ow…dang it."
Like Jax, Hop Sing landed fifteen good swats this time when he let go he said,
"Wait father on settee."
Present Time:
"Let me get this straight, you wanted to sneak into town so you decided to set up an elaborate scheme to buy you time to do something you know is forbidden? Why did you want to go to town so bad and why is this Adam's fault, Jacqueline?"
"Adam promised to send us something for our birthday and we wanted to get it today," Jax said. The words sounded selfish and childish to her ears so she couldn't even imagine how they sounded to her father.
"Pa we honestly didn't know that pen held the bull. We thought it was the calf you and Hoss saved last week or we never would have touched the corral," Joe tried.
"Joseph, are you allowed near any of the corrals?"
"No sir," Joe admitted.
"And was letting the bull out your only misdeed?" Ben asked calmly.
"No sir," his twins admitted.
"Tell me what you did wrong."
"We saddled Miss Lily and Cochise knowing we weren't allowed to," Jax started.
"We went near a corral and let a dangerous bull out," Joe said.
"We tried to put the bull back without any help, even though we knew it was dangerous," Jax said.
"And we lied to you."
"But we listened to Charlie."
"And Hop Sing spanked us plus we sat here all afternoon."
"Can you take that into consideration?" Jax asked.
"No young lady I will not take that into consideration. You're supposed to listen to adults and Hop Sing's punishment was more than just."
His two youngest looked at the ground in defeat and the next words out of his mouth would make the begging start again, but honestly Ben was still too upset to care.
"Jacqueline, go get your hairbrush and take off your petticoats once you're up there. Soon as we're finished you and your brother are in bed for the rest of the night."
"Pa, please not the hairbrush," Jax begged.
"Jacqueline, do not make me tell you again."
Jax put her head down and walked upstairs to her bedroom as slowly as humanly possible. She took off her petticoats then grabbed the hardwood cherry brush and looked at it with disdain. She didn't want to bring it back downstairs and she sure as heck didn't want to feel its stinging bee effect or the remnants of the spanking for the next few days. One thing was for sure when Pa decided to spank them he was through.
Jax finally made it back down the stairs and noticed her brother was standing in the corner. That only meant one thing. They were getting it bare tonight and to make matters worse Jax was up first.
"Pa, I'm really sorry," Jax tried.
"Jacqueline Anne-Marie, come over here," Ben said sternly holding out his hand expectantly.
"Please don't," Jax tried again.
"Pantaloons," Ben said softly.
Jax did as instructed and Ben lifted his eight year old over his knee. She was going to think twice before putting herself in that much danger again.
Jax steeled herself for the first swat and was absolutely horrified when the brush came down hard. She wasn't ready for the brush, usually her father would start out with a hand spanking and the brush would only fall a couple of times.
"Pa…ow…no…please…" Jax begged sobbing quickly under the onslaught of the cherry hairbrush.
"You could have died little girl and I'm not stopping until your little butt shines bright red."
Ben kept dropping the brush over and over ignoring the pleading and crying of his little girl. All he could think of was the bull charging at her and his losing her. He already lost Marie and there was no way he could ever lose the two most precious gifts his wife had ever given him. Finally he finished the spanking with ten hard swats to her sit spots. Jax was sobbing hard and holding on to him for dear life the second he was finished. Ben held his little girl through her sobs, but knew his son was waiting.
"Jax, head on up to your room I'll come up in a little while."
"Yes sir."
Ben watched Jax walk up the stairs, hating that he had one more child to deal with. Ben was already exhausted, he hated when he had to punish one child, but whenever something happened with the twins he always had the two for one deal.
"Joseph," Ben said knowing the one word would get his son over to him.
Joe would try and act brave, but like his sister he would be crying long before this spanking was over. Ben knew that, heck Joe knew it too. Ben lowered Joe's pants and opened the flap on his underwear showing a bright white butt, well that was going to change in a few seconds.
Joe hated going second. He always tried to count how many times he would have to feel his Pa's strong hand or in this case the wicked hairbrush, but the second his sister started crying and begging he stopped. He hated it when his sister cried. She was a part of him and he hated when she was in pain. Sure he would feel the same thing, but she was special to him and she was a girl. If he ever said those words to Jax he knew she would punch him. Jax truly felt that she was stronger than he was and most days he let her think that, but he knew the truth and he bet one day she would to.
The first stinging swat of the hairbrush took Joe's breath away. He never knew how he was going to survive his punishments. That first swat was more than enough and he stopped counting at ten when his father attacked Jax's poor butt. He didn't know how many spanks he reached before the urge to cover his butt was upon him, but he needed the on slot of pain to stop. Joe reached back but his father just calmly grabbed his hands and landed two penalty swats on his thighs. Joe knew that was the penalty for trying to cover his butt. Not because his father was trying to be mean, but a spanking was for butts not hands and if he hit their hands by accident it could really hurt them.
"Pa…I'm…sorry…I…didn't...think…"
"You're right Joseph, you didn't think about what was could have happened. You and Jax could have died!"
"I…would…die…if…something…happened…to…Jax," Joe said between sobs.
"I would die if something happened to either of you and these last ten will hopefully help you to remember to keep yourself safe."
Ben tipped Joe forward and landed the last ten on his sit spots. He pulled up his little boy's pants and cuddled him. The second Joe was finished crying Ben said,
"Head on upstairs and yes you can check on your sister."
Joe ran up the stairs and walked into his sister's room pulling her into a hug.
"You ok?"
"My butt isn't," Jax said but gave him a big smile.
"Mine neither. Hey, he didn't restrict us to the…"
"Because I'm not finished punishing you yet," Ben said walking into the Jax's room. "Take a seat."
They both squirmed to find a comfortable spot. When they were finally settled, Ben said,
"You're both restricted to the yard until your birthday. So you won't join me when I go to town tomorrow to get your brother's letter and because you are so excited about his gift you will not get it until your birthday."
"But Pa, Adam said we could…" Jax started but was cut off by a sharp glare from her father.
"My punishment stands," Ben said pulling his twins into a hug. "Ok Joseph, you're being punished head on over to your room. Talking hole is shut."
"Yes sir," was heard by both twins.
Jax watched her father and brother walk out of the room and made a decision. She grabbed a fluffy pillow and put it on her desk chair pulling out a pencil and piece of paper.
'Dear Adam,
Joe and I just got a really hard spanking and we're restricted again and it's all your fault…'