Chapter Three: The Day After
Three corners were full in Shelby Corcoran's living room. She was not a happy camper. In fact, to put it bluntly, she was pissed. She had talked to the police officer for about five minutes and told him that her three would be at the elderly man's home in the morning to clean up. He had said that it wasn't necessary, as some of the older kids would be there, but Shelby had stood her ground. Her kids had helped make that mess, she'd be damned if they were not going to help clean it up.
She had sent the kids to the corner before even finishing the talk with the police officer. Rachel had even had the nerve to ask why, earning her a glare and a swat from her mother, and a chuckle from the police officer. He had been rounding up heathen kids all night and nine times out of ten, the parents just told them not to do whatever they had been doing wrong. Here it looked like the kids would actually have some consequences.
Good for this woman, was all he could think. Maybe these kids would have a chance in the world.
As he was telling Shelby bye and walking out the door, the small kid, the one dressed like SpongeBob, turned and ran towards him.
"Please take me to jail with you! Don't leave me with my Mommy. I don't want a spanking! She is going to roast me!" She had said, lunging towards him. Rachel knew that she was safer with this man if she wanted to sit anytime soon.
The police officer knelt down so that he could be eye level with the little girl.
"Kid, you are much safer here with your mom than anywhere else in the world. It is obvious that your mom loves you. You did wrong tonight. That old man whose house you egged tonight doesn't have any family, and every year when kids egg his house, he gets really sad. You hurt his feelings tonight, and your mom is going to make sure that you understand that."
The man stood up, nodded towards Shelby, and then left the house so that he could go back to patrolling the neighborhood.
Shelby pulled Rachel out of the doorway and then closed the door. She looked down at her little trouble maker and merely pointed at the corner she had vacated.
Rachel sighed, shoulders slumped, and trudged back over to the corner. Kurt had turned around only momentarily to see what was going on, and Quinn was standing as stiff as a board in her corner.
It would be the first time that Shelby had ever had to discipline Quinn. Normally, Quinn thought things through, but even so, Shelby had only been a part of the little girl's life in this fashion for about five months.
She had known that she would probably have to scold her at some point…Judy had already had to get Rachel…but the first time was always the worst.
And, Rachel seemed to gravitate towards trouble. Quinn was not like that.
"I am going to speak to all of you right now. I will ask questions and you will answer them. However, you will not turn around. You will remain in your corners. Rachel…"
"Yes, Mommy?" Rachel asked, sniffing. Shelby rolled her eyes. That child was not crying. She was dramatic to the end.
"What happened to the toilet paper in the house?"
Rachel swallowed.
"I...I took it with us."
"So you left this house with the premeditated plan to go over to Mr. Warner's home and throw toilet paper and eggs at his home?" Shelby asked.
Rachel was not really sure what 'premeditated' meant, but they did know where they were going when they snuck out of the house.
"Yes?"
"That sounds like a question to me, Rachel Barbra Corcoran. Kurt. How long have you known about this plan?"
Whew. Auntie Shel was going right for the tough questions.
"Um. Since at least a week ago."
Shelby closed her eyes. They had had this planned for over a week? That was a bit much even for them.
"Quinn. How did you get the eggs?"
"I am sorry, Aunt Shel." Quinn said through her sniffles. She was actually crying though. Shelby's heart melted a little. That was the first time Quinn had called her Aunt Shel.
Normally, she would take punishments upstairs, away from the other kids. But this time, they had gotten into mischief together so they would be punished together.
"Quinn, come here." Shelby said. She, Russ, and Judy had talked about this after Rachel had gotten into trouble for the first time with Judy. Shelby had, to the surprise of Judy, told her to punish Rachel as she would Quinn in the same situation. Afterwards, Judy had told Shelby that she could always do the same to Quinn in such a situation.
Shelby had thought a situation would never come because Quinn was so well behaved. Apparently Rachel and Kurt were corrupting her.
Quinn turned and walked to Shelby, her head down and tears dripping down her cheeks. Her tentacles her now hanging limply because of all the Halloween fun and even they seemed to realize the spanking that awaited the little girl.
Shelby held Quinn between her legs and lifted her chin up with her hands.
"How did you get the eggs?"
Quinn sniffed.
"Me and Kurt took them from home and hid them in our bags and then outside when we got here."
Shelby nodded. She had expected as much.
"Okay, Quinnie. You are fixing to get a spanking. Fifteen swats…" Shelby heard Rachel hiss. That is right, baby girl, no mere nine swats for you tonight, Shelby thought. She wanted this fair, and therefore could not go by years since Rachel was nine and the other two were ten. And, she was pretty sure that Rachel had been the ringleader. She usually was. They threw eggs at someone's home, did the same with toilet paper, and snuck out. Five swats for each infraction, "….five swats for stealing, five swats for sneaking out of the house, and five swats for destroying property. Do you understand?"
Quinn nodded tearfully.
"Okay, let's get this over with."
With that, Shelby pulled Quinn over her lap and doled out fifteen smart smacks to her backside, the whole while Quinn sobbed. By the time that Shelby was finished, the little girl was very sorry indeed.
Shelby lifted Quinn up and wrapped her arms around her. Quinn responded by wrapping her arms around Shelby's neck and whispering in her ear, "I am sorry, Aunt Shel. I promise that I won't ever do anything like that again."
Shelby rocked her for a few seconds and nodded.
"Why don't you go upstairs to your room and start getting ready for bed, Sweetheart."
"My room?" Quinn asked. Kurt had a room here, in the attic, a pretty cool one too, but Aunt Shel had known Kurt for a long time.
"Yes, sweetheart, I think that it is time we start calling the room you sleep in yours, don't you? We will have to get it just the way that you like it." Shelby said.
Quinn smiled and hugged Shelby again.
"Okay, girlie. Get on upstairs."
Quinn nodded and turned and walked on upstairs, rubbing her backside as she went.
"Kurt, come here."
She heard Rachel sigh again. Shelby did her best not to smile. That is right, baby girl, I am saving you until last, Shelby thought as she gently pulled Kurt between her legs as she had done Quinn not moment before.
"Kurt." Shelby said. It was the only thing she said. She knew her kiddos and knew how to get them to spill all. Kurt was the easiest.
"The big kids told us that we had to protect Lima by throwing toilet paper and eggs at the warlock's house to create a force field. They told us this year that we were finally old enough to join them. I am sorry, Auntie Shel. The police officer told us that he isn't a warlock, but I am not sure anyone really believes the police about it."
Yep. Kurt did exactly as she thought he would. He would give away national secrets if he knew them all by his Auntie Shel giving him the 'look' and saying his name. It worked every time.
"Do you know why you are getting this spanking?" Shelby asked him.
Kurt took a deep breath and then let it out.
"Yea, I know." He knew better than fight against it anyways.
Soon, Shelby had a well chastised little boy in her lap as he tried to stop crying and she rubbed his back. He leaned up and kissed Shelby's cheek and whispered in her ear, "I am sorry. I won't do it anymore. I will even try to talk Rach out of talking us into it." Shelby stifled her laughter. Kurt had just told her what she had already figured out and the poor kid didn't even realize it.
"Okay, Kurt. Why don't you head on up to your room and get ready for bed. It is going to be a long day tomorrow."
The little boy nodded and then headed up the steps just as Quinn had, rubbing his behind and all.
Shelby sighed as she watched Rachel fidget in the corner. She didn't normally make her stand in the corner this long, but tonight had been different. Shelby got up and went behind Rachel and stood behind her. Rachel instantly stilled.
"Are you going to spank me now?" Rachel asked sorrowfully.
"What do you think?"
"I think that you probably are and nothing I can do is going to change your mind."
"Why do you think that I should change my mind after I just got finished spanking both Quinn and Kurt for the same misdeeds?" Shelby really wanted to hear this.
"I had to stand in the corner longer than they did."
"They got spanked sooner than you did."
"You are going to make us clean up tomorrow at the warlock's house."
"Yes you are. His name is Mr. Warner. How does it make you feel to know that you hurt his feelings tonight? That he is sad because he has no family and now the entire neighborhood has to see his front yard look horrible?"
"He should be nicer." Rachel said.
"Rachel Corcoran! You have never met him!"
"So what! Everyone says that he is a warlock!" Rachel huffed. Shelby could see that they were getting nowhere, so she gently took Rachel's arm and guided her to the couch.
"Rachel, do you understand why you are getting this spanking?"
"Yea, cause you are being mean! You don't understand about warlocks cause you are old and dumb about things like that!"
Shelby rolled her eyes and then in one swoop pulled Rachel's pants and panties to her knees and then pulled her over her lap.
"This isn't fair! You didn't spank Kurt and Quinn without their pants!" Rachel shouted. She knew what a spanking over clothes and what a spanking without clothes sounded like having been the receiver of many, many spankings (it felt that way to her, anyways) in her short nine years.
"They didn't resort to name calling to try and get out of their spankings, either. Now, why are you getting this spanking, Rachel?" Shelby asked as she brought her hand down once on Rachel's bare behind. Rachel screeched.
"Ugh! Because I snuck out and egged and toilet papered the warl…um Mr. Warlock's house!"
"Much better answer. His name is Mr. Warner, though. You need to learn his name before you meet him tomorrow and clean up his yard."
With that, Shelby dealt out fourteen more smacks, of which had Rachel bawling by the time Shelby pulled her up into her arms.
"Baby girl, why are you always the ringleader in these situations?" Shelby asked as she wiped away Rachel's tears with the end of her long sleeved shirt and then kissed her head.
"I don't know. It seemed like a good idea when the big kids were talking about it." Rachel cried.
"Next time, ask me if it is a good idea. You won't get in trouble for asking."
"Okay, Mommy." Rachel sniffed. Shelby rubbed her back for a few more moments and then stood her up because she could tell that Rachel was about to fall asleep.
"Go on up to your room and get ready for bed while I check on Kurt, Quinn, and Beth. Then I will be in to tuck you in."
"Okay Mommy. Are you still mad at me?"
Shelby smiled.
"No, baby girl. I am not mad. You better not ever get brought home by the cops again, though, or you really will be sorry." Shelby warned.
Rachel smiled a little smile and nodded.
"Okay."
"Now, up the stairs." Shelby said, walking up with Rachel as she, just as the two previous children had, rubbed her sore behind.
Shelby just shook her head. She was boycotting Halloween next year.
Before she went up stairs, she grabbed her phone and dialed Judy's cellphone.
"Hello?"
"Hey Judy. I need a huge favor…could you bring over a couple of rolls of toilet paper?"
"…what?" Judy asked. That was an odd request to her.
"I will explain when you get here." Shelby said with a laugh. She knew that Judy would bring it, and since she couldn't leave the house because of the kids, someone had to bring her some toilet paper. Rachel went through the stuff like it was going out of fashion and they only had half a roll in the house.
Thirty minutes later, Shelby had peeked in at the kids and had told them that when she came back up in twenty minutes that they needed to be in bed and she would tuck them in. She couldn't at that time because the door bell had rang.
Shelby opened the door and smiled at Judy, who was holding a package of toilet paper under her arm.
"Are you going to tell me why I had to bring you toilet paper at ten at night?" Judy said, trying not to laugh at the odd request.
Shelby did laugh.
"I will give you three guesses. It includes our children and a warlock." Shelby said with a raised eyebrow.
Judy's eyes grew wide.
"They didn't!" Judy said. She knew all about the 'warlock' but had thought kids had finally stopped toilet papering the man's house.
"They did. They were brought home by the police. They have had it planned for over a week. You are also missing eggs at your house." Shelby explained.
Judy sat on the edge of the couch and put her head in her hands.
"I am sorry, Shelby. I will talk to Quinn…she knows better."
"Judy, I handled it. All three kid were given fifteen swats. Kurt and Quinn over their costumes. Out little mastermind was given hers bare. She didn't know when to just admit defeat."
Judy laughed. That didn't surprise her. Not in the least.
"Do you mind if I go and tell Quinn goodnight then? She will worry that she is going to be in more trouble with her father and me, but I would rather she know that she won't be since this is the first time she has gotten in trouble with you."
Shelby smiled, "Of course, Judy. I will tuck the other two in and you go talk to your baby. She is in the room she always sleeps in."
Judy smiled but got up and walked up the stairs and into Shelby's guest room. Quinn was lying on her stomach, her stuffed animal, a kangaroo, under her arm. She always had a stuffed animal with her. The kangaroo was the one she left at Shelby's house.
"Hey, baby, I heard you had an adventure tonight." Judy spoke softly, sitting on the side of the bed and patting Quinn's behind as she did.
"Mama, don't touch my butt! Please…" Quinn said. Aunt Shelby had ignited a small flame there, and it didn't need any help from her mother.
Suddenly, Quinn realized that her mother was there and wasn't supposed to be.
"Mama, I am so-sss-sorry. I won't ever do it again. Please don't spank me again." Quinn cried.
Judy picked up her daughter and set her sideways on her lap, her little behind sticking out so as not to touch anything that would cause it to hurt.
"I am not going to, baby. I had to bring Aunt Shel some toilet paper and wanted to tell you goodnight, and that you are not in trouble anymore. Aunt Shel punished you and you were forgiven. You will help clean up tomorrow and then you will be clean."
"Thank you, Mama." Quinn said, snuggling into her mother.
"Guess what, Mama." Quinn asked as she breathed in her mother's scent.
"What?"
"Aunt Shel says that this bedroom is mine for keeps. Just like Kurt's upstairs. She said I get to decorate it and everything. Isn't that awesome?"
Judy smiled. Her little girl had been through a lot in the last year. So much, in fact, that she had feared that it would have a continuous negative impact on her, especially after Frannie had disappeared on them. But having Shelby, Rachel, and Beth in their lives had helped.
"That is awesome, Quinn. Very awesome."
The two stayed like that until Quinn fell asleep. Judy laid her on her stomach and covered her up, kissing her head before she went downstairs where Shelby was waiting on her.
Judy wrapped her arms around Shelby in a hug before she walked to the door. A hug that Shelby instantly returned.
"Thank you, Shelby. Thank you so much for caring that much about my daughter."
"And thank you, Judy, for doing the same for mine."
Both women smiled. They really did have the perfect family, even if it was unconventional.
-HalloweenHorrors-
The next morning, Shelby stood in front of Mr. Warner's home with three sullen children. Rachel was actually hiding behind her legs, silently begging her mother not to make her clean up the mess in the warlock's yard.
Shelby had to repress her anger when she looked at the old man's yard. There were egg shells and toilet paper everywhere. Her three had helped create this mess. What in the world had been going through their minds when they had done this to make them think that it was okay?
She had come armed with trash bags, buckets, soap, and wash clothes. She was going to supervise while the little Halloween horrors cleaned up the mess.
But first, they had to apologize to Mr. Warner.
Shelby knocked on the door, causing Quinn and Kurt to try and hide behind her like Rachel was doing. Rachel actually have her entire arm wrapped around the top of Shelby's thigh, throw her legs. It was a stance that Rachel often took when she was nervous or scared.
"Mommy, he isn't home, let's go." Rachel said, tugging on her mother's shirt with her free hand from behind.
"Stop, Rachel. We are not going anywhere." Shelby said as the door opened.
As the door opened, an old, balding man who was at least a head shorter than Shelby and wearing khaki slacks held up by a pair of pumpkin suspenders over a white long sleeve t-shirt all assembled with a walking cane, walked out two steps.
"May I help you?" The man asked.
"Mr. Warner, good morning. I am Shelby Corcoran and I live two streets over from you. These heathens," Shelby pushed Kurt and Quinn forward and then untangled Rachel from her leg and pushed her up as well, "are Kurt," she pointed the young boy out, "Quinn," she held her hand above Quinn's head, "and Rachel," she pulled Rachel back from behind her legs again and stood the nine year old directly in front of her, "these three helped make the mess that your yard is today last night. They are here to apologize, and then they are going to clean it up while I watch."
Shelby nudged the three in front of her, and it really didn't surprise her when Rachel was finally the one who spoke up.
She took a big, deep, dramatic breath, (causing Shelby to roll her eyes) and said, "Mr. Warlock, we are sorry that we believed that you were scary and threw eggs and toilet paper at your house. My Mommy was really mad and even spanked us last night, so if you would not cast any spells on us, that would be totally awesome."
"Rachel Corcoran!" Shelby hissed. She only stopped when the little old man burst into laughter and leaned against the doorframe to support himself.
"My word, little girl. You are a hoot. I think if your mother doesn't mind, I might just pull out my lawn chair and visit while you clean. It isn't often I get visitors."
Shelby smiled.
"Mr. Warner, I would love to visit with you while we supervise the cleanup crew."
For the next two hours, Shelby and Mr. Warner visited. Shelby discovered that the man had lost his wife several years before and their only child, a daughter, had been killed in a car accident a year later. He had no other family, so he pretty much stayed to himself, leaving to buy groceries and play bingo every Thursday.
In the middle of their talking, Rachel came over and leaned against Mr. Warner's chair and looked at him for a few moments until he finally spoke.
"May I help you, Miss. Rachel?"
Rachel giggled at being called Miss. Rachel.
"Mr. Warlock, the policeman that took us to my mom last night said that when this happened, it hurt your feelings. Did it?"
Mr. Warner looked into the dark caramel orbs of the nine year old beside him.
"Yes, I suppose it did hurt my feelings a little bit, Miss. Rachel."
Tears welled up in Rachel's eyes, but she never removed them from his.
"I am so sorry, Mr. Warlock. You aren't scary at all. You are really nice. I am sorry that we hurt your feelings. We won't ever do it again."
Mr. Warner smiled and patted her head.
"That means a lot to me, Miss. Rachel."
Rachel smiled through her tears and threw her arms around the man's neck.
Shelby had to bite back her own tears when Mr. Warner shed one of his own as her daughter, the little girl who was so mischievous and into everything but had a heart of gold, hugged him.
"You are a good girl, Miss. Rachel. Never let anyone tell you different."
Rachel smiled at him, and then ran off to finish cleaning the yard up.
"You have a fine little girl there, Ms. Corcoran."
Shelby smiled. She knew that.
In the years to come, Mr. 'Warlock' was visited often by one Miss. Rachel often, especially on Halloween, when the two would sit out on his front porch and hand out candy to little kids. Rachel wanted to make sure that Mr. Warlock's feelings were never hurt again. Ever…
AN: And, The End:) I hope everyone enjoyed this little story. It shows some of the beginning of the One Step universe. There will probably be more in the future at some point.
Let me know what you think:)