And hence I begin with my usual greeting... I'm alive! Here to regale you with another fanfiction based around my favourite franchise :)

Warning again - this does contain spanking, as do all my uploads, so if that particular kind of story doesn't appeal to you, please close the page now :)

Disclaimer:Do not own Fire Emblem. Never will own Fire Emblem. Highly wish I did own Fire Emblem so I could get more recent artwork released and redo FE10 and 11 with supports (and bring out the rest in English!).

Finally... A Father

Inigo slowly trudged back to the camp from town, wondering how he was going to explain this to his father. He was missing his weapons, his wallet… and all of his clothes, save for his heart-printed boxers… Again. He'd almost managed to hide it from his father the first time. The second time, Lucina had caught him. Both times, he'd been scolded enough for his ears to drop off. This was the third time, and Chrom was on watch. He wasn't going to escape another scolding.

"Inigo!" a voice exclaimed. His heart leapt as his mother came running over. "Oh my! What happened to you?"

Inigo resisted the urge to smile. His dad had decided to keep his mother out of it before, so she had no idea. There was a way out of this right here!

"M-Mother... I-I was taken unawares," he managed, voice trembling. To be fair, it was true. The beautiful vixen had tied him up as he had slept happily, post-coitus, before waking him up to gleefully inform him she would be relieving him of all his possessions. His father and sister would both happily dice him if he outright lied to his mother…

"My poor Inigo!" she exclaimed, enveloping him in a hug. "Are you injured? Did those brutes do anything to you?"

Inigo allowed himself an inward smile at her choice of words. Things were done, alright – things that would count as criminal in his mother's eyes, no doubt – and things Chrom was never, ever, ever going to find out about.

"Just laughed," he confessed, rubbing his head sheepishly. She hadn't had to laugh quite so long and hard… "Please, don't let Dad find out. He'd already got so much on his plate. I really don't want to add to that…"

"Oh, Inigo. You're such a thoughtful boy," Olivia murmured, pinching his cheeks fondly. His eyes watered as she pinched much too hard. "Chrom isn't in the tent at the moment. I'm sure there's some spare clothes in there."

"You're the best," Inigo decided, hugging his mother, before gesturing for her to lead the way. Things were looking up. Maybe he could even convince her to lend him a tiny bit of money so he could buy another weapon – Severa got her dad to do it all the time.

"Olivia? Inigo?" a voice asked from behind them. Inigo only just fought down the 'eep'. Chrom's voice was unmistakeable. He slowly turned around, mere inches from what would have been the safety of the tent. Olivia placed a hand on her husband's muscular arm.

"Oh Chrom, we were trying not to worry you. I knew you'd only fret. Our poor little boy was attacked. Those brutes took everything," she told him, voice hardening with anger at the thought of such a thing happening to their child. Inigo flinched back as his father turned his appraising blue eyes to him.

"…I…I d-didn't… I never…" he began, weakly. Chrom gently kissed Olivia's forehead.

"Don't worry. I'll sort this out. Are there spare clothes in the tent?" he asked her.

She nodded mutely, returning the kiss and slowly turning to walk away. She looked back over her shoulder as Chrom placed an arm around his parallel son. Inigo fixed a smile on his face, which didn't put her at ease. Something was going on, and she didn't like it.

"…I didn't tell her I was attacked… I told her I didn't see it coming," Inigo said, lamely. His father steered him into the tent, making him all too aware of their difference in strength. He would have no choice but to sit through an hour long lecture again…

Chrom placed a stool in the centre of the tent. Inigo was filled with a sense of foreboding, but he obediently sat on it when Chrom indicated. His father began to pace, while Inigo hunched his shoulders, determined to appear as contrite as possible.

"Are you injured?" Chrom asked finally, making him jump.

He shook his head mutely. Chrom sighed.

"Did she leave you with anything?"

"…Underwear," Inigo mumbled. It had taken a lot of pleading even for that…

"Your Killing Edge… The Silver Sword you found?"

"They'll probably buy some decent jewellery," he muttered, staring down at the floor. He yelped as Chrom grabbed his shoulders and shook him. The blue eyes were blazing despite Chrom's outwardly calm demeanour. Inigo inwardly trembled.

"Did you listen to a word I said to you last time? Are you listening now?" Chrom demanded.

Inigo didn't want to meet his eyes. He nodded again, more emphatically.

"Then why are you treating this so lightly?"

"I'm not!" Inigo protested snapping his head up.

"Inigo, you have to understand, those pretty women might not always be after your possessions. They might be after your life," Chrom continued, crouching down slightly. "After what happened in the future, surely you must understand what losing you would do to your mother… and to me."

"It's fine. You'll have your own little Inigo to replace me soon anyway," Inigo muttered. He didn't mean for it to come out as bitter as it did. He'd always known that this precious time together couldn't last. Chrom's grip tightened on his shoulders.

"Is that what you think?" he whispered, sounding hurt. Lucina had said similar. He gave his son a sad smile. "I suppose I wasn't around to be a proper father to you, but that has to change. I shall show you today exactly what having a father is like, because that's what I am, kid. I can't replace the man you lost entirely, but that doesn't mean I can't try."

Inigo didn't have time to grasp the meaning before he found himself hauled to his feet. His parallel father smoothly locked his fingers around his wrist and pulled him over his lap as he took Inigo's place on the stool. The future child blinked, completely taken aback.

"Father!" he cried, wriggling against Chrom's hold. The first strike surprised him more than it hurt him, causing him to elicit a yelp.

"Having a guardian means more than having someone to spoil you. It means having someone to talk to, someone to care for you… even someone to show you right from wrong, whichever way necessary," Chrom told him, firmly. "I've trusted you to listen to me twice now. This time, you've shown me you need a more lasting reminder, especially after trying to use your mother to escape any form of discipline."

"Ah- Father! I-I'm sorry!" Inigo tried as the lord struck him again. Chrom inwardly winced. Inigo seemed so frightened – of course, none of the children would have really come across any discipline. The future had been too bleak – their parents' lives too short…

"Inigo, I have to make you think twice about your actions. You don't seem to realise that there are consequences. I don't care about weapons and clothes. I care about you and your safety. You've placed yourself in danger time and time again for some of the most foolish reasons," Chrom added, making sure to keep as much pressure as he could off the arm he kept pinned to Inigo's back.

"I understand! I do!" Inigo attempted, but he still wasn't listening.

Chrom gently began to ease down his last item of clothing, making Inigo let out the slightest frightened sob.

"I didn't mean it before! Before, I didn't… Please, father," he tried desperately, unable to reach back to defend himself.

"Inigo, this is what is going to happen in the future if you don't stop thinking with parts other than your brain," Chrom told him in no uncertain terms. His adult parallel son seemed to have been reduced to a child in an instant. Chrom hated doing this to him, but he couldn't see any other way. Inigo had to stop being so careless with his own safety.

The large hand came down five times in quick, painful succession. Inigo bit his lip to try and keep his pathetic howls as low as he could. He couldn't have the others hearing this. Why was this only happening to him? The others had all been fussed and spoiled by their parallel parents… Why was he the only one to be spanked?!

"I didn't mean to sleep," he tried, as if that would make things better. It didn't. The hand continued relentlessly. His legs began to kick with each hit, but he was barely aware of it.

"No, but you let yourself drop your guard with a strange woman you picked up in a tavern. Inigo, don't you understand that we have enemies out there? Not to mention the blasted slavers looking for any pretty face that comes their way. They won't stop at pretty girls, especially when you bear the royal brand," Chrom reprimanded.

Inigo sniffed , trying to hold back his tears, as the painful words sunk in almost as much as the painful swats.

"If having your possessions taken three times now hasn't taught you something, then I hope this will. I will repeat this as many times as it takes to drill it into you."

Inigo yelped at the unexpectedly hard strike that followed, struggling weakly as Chrom raised one of his legs to gain access to more sensitive undercurves, The next couple of swats were enough to bring the tears pouring.

"Father, please! I'm sorry! I won't anymore! No more strange women! I promise! I promise! I didn't mean to lie to mother, I swear! Please!" he wailed, as if it was his life on the line rather than his comfort.

"Inigo…" Chrom murmured, before sighing. It was done. Over. He didn't want to discipline his son any further – hadn't wanted to do it in the first place. "I mean it when I say I will do this as often as it takes… I hope you will learn from this one. I can't stand to see you placing yourself in such senseless danger – and I know Olivia and Lucina feel the same."

"I won't, I'm sorry," Inigo sobbed miserably. Chrom pulled his underwear back up, before helping him to stand. He couldn't resist wrapping his arms around his wretched son and squeezing him tight. Inigo wept into his chest, no longer entirely sure why he was sobbing. He hated being punished – but he had missed out on it all for so long – the discipline, the hugs, the comfort…

"He won't replace you," Chrom added, softly, rubbing his back. "I love you as much as my own child. I would be heartbroken if you rejected me once this war is over – your mother even more so. You are my son."

Inigo sniffed hard, tears finally beginning to stem, but he couldn't bring himself to speak. Instead he clung even harder to his father. Those were the words he'd been so desperate to hear without even knowing it… At least now, he knew for certain that his father truly cared…

Hope you enjoyed. In my opinion, Inigo kinda needs it, bless him. Read Noire's convo. Really, really read it. Kid's gonna get himself killed! But then, I never need much of an excuse ^_^