Just Like Any Kid Your Age

by PkPkC

Pre-series. Saturdays in the McFadden household are never boring. Between one brother opting out of a family tradition, over a dozen eggs going missing from the kitchen, and a shocking phone call from town, the day before Halloween is full of surprises. Warning: this story will contain spanking/corporal punishment of a minor by an older brother/parental figure.

4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks again for reading and reviewing! Please enjoy the new chapter!

Chapter Four

If someone went ahead and punched Adam in the stomach right then, he wouldn't have been more surprised than he was to learn that Ford had been with Daniel during the entire egging incident. It had been hard enough for Adam to believe that Daniel was involved, and he couldn't wrap his head around the fact that sweet little Ford, the ten-year-old who sometimes worried that eating eggs might mean accidentally killing a baby chick, had tossed them at people's houses in town.

"Ford might not have been with Daniel the whole time," Adam said to Brian, but it was more wishful thinking than anything. "Maybe he was hanging out with his own friends."

"He doesn't have any friends his age hanging out around Murphys after dark. I only let him stay in town because I knew Daniel would be with him." Brian tapped his hand against the porch banister. "It isn't like any of the boys to act this way."

"I think Daniel did it to fit in with his friends," Adam said. "Even if he did have a bit of fun doing it. If Daniel felt pressure to go along with them, I can only imagine how Ford felt."

"Knowing Ford, he probably didn't throw any eggs." Despite the comment, Brian was quick to contradict himself. "But he never let on that there was anything wrong. Come to think of it, he was pretty happy when I picked them up last night, like he was in on a secret of some kind." Brian let his fist fall against the porch railing, shaking his head in disbelief. "I never should have left them alone."

"Don't blame yourself. Every single one of those boys, even Guthrie, knows how he's supposed to behave when he's in public. They've been left alone before and they've never done anything like this." Adam let out a loud sigh. "I just wish I'd known that Ford was involved before I punished Daniel."

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"I wouldn't have used the belt on Daniel if I'd known Ford was in on it too."

Brian stood silent a moment, watching as a pained look came over Adam's face. He wasn't exactly shocked to learn that Daniel had been given a heavier dose than the palm of the hand, after all, he'd pulled enough stunts recently to warrant it a few times over. What did surprise Brian was the fact that Adam had actually used it on him, when he was typically pained to do much of anything physical.

"How'd he take it?" Brian asked, then immediately realized it was an odd question. What was stranger, though, was the fact that Adam offered up an answer.

"He was all right, considering the fact that he's never had it before. Besides, I let him keep his underwear on."

"Dad never did that for me."

"Me neither, but from the way Daniel cried, I'm pretty sure they both hurt just about the same."

"Is he okay?"

Adam looked almost hurt. "I didn't kill him, if that's what you're thinking."

"I never said-"

"I only gave him five licks."

"Five?" Brian had to laugh. "You're heartless."

With a glare, Adam said, "It's not funny."

All Brian could do was shake his head. "Man, you are softer than Dad."

"I didn't have the heart to give him anymore. I don't know how Dad managed to give us worse. Part of me wonders why he thought it was necessary. I don't think Daniel could have handled getting twelve. You should have seen him Brian, and I wasn't even that hard on him."

Though Brian could sympathize with his brother's feelings, he knew there was a big difference between the two of them and their younger brothers. "Neither of us took things to heart the way Dan'l does. If he thinks one of us is disappointed in him, it nearly tears him apart inside."

"We never liked disappointing Dad. But you're right, Daniel carries things worse than we did. Heck, all the younger boys do."

Seeing that his brother still struggled with the issue, Brian patted his shoulder and tried to reassure him that he had done the right thing. "It's a crummy thing to have to do, but it doesn't mean Danny didn't have it coming." He sighed. "And I guess it doesn't change the fact that Ford was involved either."

"Nope." Of all the times Adam wished he could have a beer in his hands, this was it. There were a few in the fridge, but it was still early in the day and he liked to keep the drinking until after the younger boys were asleep. A few minutes earlier he felt sorry for what he'd had to do to Daniel, but after learning about Ford's involvement in the crime, he was seriously considering going back upstairs and pulling the kid out of bed to give him another dose of his belt. "Daniel never let on once that Ford was with him. I can't believe he would lie to me that way."

"He probably didn't see it as lying. I know it doesn't make it right, but he probably thought he was protecting Ford. He would never dream of ratting on any of our brothers if he thought you were going to use the belt on him too."

Adam leaned forward against the porch railing and rested his elbows on the worn out wood of the banister. "What am I supposed to do now? I can't pretend that I don't know Ford was there. It will come out soon enough and the second he learns that Daniel got in trouble it will eat the little guy up inside."

"That's true," Brian agreed, finding himself a seat on the rocking chair and kicking one of his legs up onto the railing next to Adam. "I don't think Ford should get away with it anyway. Do you know how much trouble we would be in if someone from town decided to call the police, or the people down at the county on us?"

"Of course I know. Why do you think I was so hard on Daniel?"

"I don't think Ford would have done this if he hadn't been with the older boys."

"Neither do I, but it doesn't matter anyway. There are going to be plenty of times that he is with older kids and will have to make tough decisions. I just don't know how to handle him over this."

"He'll have to do the chores too to make up for the eggs," Brian said, but it was more a guess than an actual suggestion.

"Yeah, and it will probably be easier for you and me if we get them to do the chores together." He glanced back at Brian with a bitter grin. "I don't think I can come up with forty-two extra jobs in the next month."

"I can," Brian muttered, but when Adam failed to reply he took it to mean that his suggestion was unwelcome.

"I'll send Ford with Daniel tomorrow, to help clean up the town. It's only fair."

Though Adam did not see, Brian nodded. There was the other part of the punishment that Brian knew was coming, but when Adam failed to suggest it, he decided to speak up. "You're not going to use your belt on Ford, are you?"

Adam shrugged. "Doesn't seem fair to use it on one boy and not the other."

"Lately, Danny's been in a lot more trouble than any of the other boys. He's older too, and he brought his little brother along."

"Still doesn't make it fair when Ford did just as much damage." Adam really didn't want to use a belt on Ford. The younger boy never needed much by way of physical discipline anyway, and he was so sensitive that it was almost harder for Adam to punish him than it was to correct Evan or Daniel.

"What if I'm the one to spank Ford?" Brian asked, his voice low, as though he was almost afraid to offer. "If I do it I won't have to use the belt."

"You hate doing it."

"So do you, but we know he deserves one, at least this time."

Adam only shook his head. "If I can punish Daniel, I can do the same to Ford. Just let me think about it for a while, all right? I don't want to say anything to anyone about it until I'm ready. Just so we're clear though, Evan wasn't involved too, was he?"

"Nah, he was at the school with me the whole time."

"That's a relief," Adam said, but he didn't sound particularly happy. A minute later, he stood straight and announced that he had better start getting supper ready. He moved passed Brian and toward the kitchen door at the other end of the porch, hoping the answer to his worries would somehow appear to him before long.

"How 'bout some good news for a change," Brian said, following Adam into the kitchen. "What would you say if I told you that our brother, Crane McFadden, is planning on going to a party tonight?"

Lost in his own thoughts as he pulled a can of Pepsi from the fridge, it took a moment for Brian's words to register in Adam's mind. Once they did, he gave a soft smile and cracked open his soda can. "And just when did he decide this?"

"A little while ago. He wasn't going to go, you know how Crane is. He would rather stay home with us than risk soiling his perfect fifteen-year-old reputation in town."

Adam might have laughed at Brian's words, but he was too proud of Crane to tease him for his upstanding personality. However, he wasn't disappointed to hear that he wanted to hang out with his friends for a change. "It'll be good for him to get away from us for a night. And to hang out with kids his own age."

"We're not so much older," Brian said, but the statement wasn't exactly true. Sure, Crane was only four years younger, but the difference in age seemed bigger than it would in a few years. Crane had only been twelve when their parents passed away. Not old enough to take on the parenting responsibilities that befell the older two, and while he was a great help, perhaps more than they deserved sometimes, he was still, at least in Adam's eyes, another one of their kid brothers.

"What time is this party?" Adam asked. "And where is it?"

All through high school Adam had wondered why his mother needed to know every little detail about where he was and who he was with. Now though, he understood how worried she was about him, and he felt sorry for giving her such a hard time about it when he could have answered her questions and been on his way.

"Crane still has to get more information," Brian said, and with a knowing glance added, "He's going to call Cathy to find out."

"Cathy?" Adam suddenly understood Crane's newfound desire for a social life. He laughed, taking another swig of soda. "I should have guessed that this party would have something to do with a girl."

Brian's grin was just as wide, but he made Adam promise not to tease Crane about it. "Any other day I would, but he's so close to changing his mind and staying home that I don't want to take the risk."

"I'm not going to say anything. Besides, you're the one he went to for permission."

"It wasn't like that." Brian realized he had been right to worry that Adam would be jealous that Crane went to him first. "He didn't even want to go, and I had to convince him. I think he's still a little worried that you're going to tell him no anyway."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because he thinks he isn't allowed."

Adam rolled his eyes. "When have I ever tried to keep him from being a normal kid? He's the one who puts pressure on himself."

"I know, but he doesn't have a partner in crime like you or I did. He has to figure most of this stuff out on his own, and he doesn't want to cross you. Look, I'll drive Crane to the party tonight, and I'll make sure he gets home safe too. Maybe you can spend that time talking to Ford."

"Lucky me," Adam grumbled, but he left it at that.

While Adam and Brian were busy talking, neither heard Crane return to the house. He stood in the doorway to the living room a moment, listening to their low voices in the kitchen. He heard them mention the party, but from the tone of their conversation it sounded like they had no plans to leave the kitchen, so Crane took the opportunity to tiptoe upstairs and slip quietly into the bedroom his two older brothers shared. Pushing the door closed behind him, he paused a moment, holding his breath and half expecting someone to come up and catch him in the room.

He was nervous about the party, and too embarrassed to ask his brothers for advice. Although it was Halloween, no one was going to be going in costume, and Crane wasn't sure how he was supposed to dress for a regular party. He guessed he should look better than he did at school, but not quite as nice as he would at a dance. He knew it wouldn't be a problem if he borrowed one of his brothers' shirts, and Adam's clothes were more likely to fit him than Brian's were. He felt strange though, putting effort into his appearance for the first time. Cathy didn't seem to go for any of the rich guys in town, but she was a pretty girl, and Crane didn't want her thinking he was some bum rancher with nothing but worn out blue jeans and tired old shirts.

His main reason for sneaking into the bedroom wasn't to find a shirt though, since he knew he would have no trouble borrowing one. What he really wanted was to grab some of Adam's cologne, the one his brother only wore on special occasions. It would have been humiliating to ask to use it, so instead Crane figured he would borrow it for a couple of hours, and put it back before he left for the party. He knew it wasn't technically stealing, and he just couldn't muster up the confidence to come out and ask for it.

He moved over to the little table next to Adam's bed. It was the drawer where Adam kept everything of value, from their birth certificates, to their parents' wedding bands. The little bottle of cologne was in there too, because Adam wanted to keep it safe from breakage, and it was the one place the younger boys were guaranteed to never touch.

Though he was as quiet as possible when he pulled the drawer open, the warped wood still scraped slightly against the frame. He didn't see the cologne at first, but knew it had to be somewhere among the piles of paper and familial possessions. As Crane reached into the back of the drawer, he felt something smooth, like foil, under his fingers, and instinctively pulled it out, thinking perhaps Adam had candy hidden in the drawer as well. When he brought the item to the light though, Crane felt his heart skip a beat, realizing what it was that he had just discovered in his brother's drawer.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Crane thought he might jump out of his skin as he slammed the drawer closed, shoving the condom in his back pocket and spinning away from the night stand. There was Brian, standing in the doorway with a smirk on his face, obviously amused at finding his typically well behaved brother going through other people's stuff.

Though Brian's question had been asked in good humor, Crane couldn't think of how to reply, too shocked by the discovery of a condom in Adam's drawer to speak. He had never actually held one before, but he knew exactly what it was from the little wrapper and circular outline inside. If it had been in Brian's drawer he might not have been so surprised, but he felt a strange sense of disappointment in Adam. Although he knew his brother had gone on a few dates in the past, he didn't think Adam was the kind of guy to sleep around.

"You all right?" Brian asked, moving to Crane's side and glancing at the drawer. He had a sudden knowing look on his face as he passed his brother and went right to his own bedside at the window. After shifting through the drawer a moment, he pulled out a small blue bottle and passed it over to Crane. "I take it that's what you were looking for?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess."

"Take mine. It's smells better than Adam's anyway." Brian was still joking, but Crane couldn't enjoy it.

Instead, he tried to act unfazed, taking the bottle from his brother and hoping his face wasn't too red. "Thanks Brian. I guess I should get changed."

"You better call Cathy and find out more about this party. Then take a shower. Girls don't want guys who smell like they've been working with cattle all day."

Crane nodded, but he didn't move from his spot. Part of him wanted to ask Brian about the condom, or at least put it back. He didn't think Adam would be pleased to learn that he had taken it, and he felt sick just knowing it was in his pocket.

"Look," Brian said, the teasing tone in his voice turning to one of empathy. "Go take a shower, and I'll find a clean shirt for you. Do you have any clean jeans in your room?"

"I don't know."

Something had come over Crane, Brian could tell, but he only shook his head. "All right, I'll find some for you." As Crane finally made a move to pass him, Brian held him back a moment. "Maybe you should shave too."

Crane scrunched up his face as he reached up to touch his sorry excuse for facial hair. Brian had not wanted to say anything to him about it, but his lack of beard, yet desperate attempt to grow one with the few whiskers he had, was actually starting to bother him.

"I'll show you how if you want me to." Brian couldn't exactly grow a full beard either, but he recalled his father showing him how to shave when he needed to, and figured it would be a good time to pass that knowledge along to his brother.

Though he looked embarrassed by the thought, Crane didn't bother to argue as he made his way toward the hall phone, bottle of cologne in hand.

The conversation with Cathy was short, but it went well. She was over the moon with excitement at the prospect of meeting up with him. She was getting a ride with a few of her girlfriends, but would meet him there. Crane suddenly felt a little bit uncomfortable with the thought of having his brother drive him, but he decided there was nothing he could do about that. He got the address from Cathy, then got off the phone as quickly as he could, before heading off to the shower. As he grabbed his towel from the bedroom, he noticed Daniel curled up in bed asleep, but he didn't think much of it, as he had bigger worries on his mind.

When Crane was through in the shower, Brian came in to help him shave. He had a brand new razor for him and everything, though Crane couldn't help but think that he would have an easier time if he didn't have someone sitting there watching him.

"Ladies like stubble," Brian told him as he worked the razor over his cheeks.

"But I won't have stubble if I shave."

"Sure you will. You shave it now, by the time you get around to kissing her you'll have that late night stubble growing back."

"Who said anything about kissing?"

"Well you didn't have to say it," Brian teased, "I kind of figured that's what you had on your mind."

Crane just shook his head, suddenly remembering that the pocket of his jeans, the pair that were still sitting on the floor at Brian's feet, held the stolen condom. Again, he considered telling Brian, but knew he would never be able to have that conversation with him.

"I put a shirt on your bed for you," Brian told him a few minutes later. "There's a clean pair of jeans with them too, but I figured you could get your socks and underwear out yourself."

Crane laughed. "I appreciate that."

"Just try and be quiet, all right? Daniel's passed out in bed."

"I saw earlier. I guess football practice really took it out of him today."

"Yeah football," Brian said, "and the talk he had with Adam after."

Crane felt his stomach tighten, guessing what Brian meant by that comment. "What happened?"

Brian shook his head, maintaining the secretive code he always did when one of the boys was in trouble. "If Daniel wants you to know what happened he'll tell you." Of course, Brian knew Daniel would tell him. He told Crane everything, and it wouldn't have surprised Brian if Crane already knew what transpired in town. But he didn't want to ask that question, knowing it wouldn't be fair to put his brother in a position where he felt the need to lie.

Crane couldn't help but worry, though, because he knew nothing of Daniel's troubles, and couldn't imagine what had set Adam off. Lately it seemed that Daniel was up to no good more than he was well behaved, so much so that even Crane himself had warned his younger brother to stop messing around. Daniel had always been a little more stubborn, and quicker to act and regret the move later than he was to think things through. Still, Crane hated to see any of his brothers hurting, least of all his roommate.

He remained as quiet as possible upon his return to the bedroom, but the moment he realized that Daniel had already begun to stir, he tried to make his presence known, hoping his brother would wake up and speak to him.

From his bed, Daniel remained silent, watching a moment as Crane shuffled through his drawer for fresh clothing. He could tell from the towel around his brother's waist and the dampness of his hair that he just showered, but it seemed a strange time of day for Crane to bathe.

"Where are you going?" Daniel asked. When he saw the clean shirt on Crane's bed, he began to worry that everyone else had plans to leave the ranch.

"Nowhere right now," Crane promised, noting that he still had a few hours to kill. "There's a party in Murphys later tonight."

Daniel shot up in bed. "Can I come?"

"A high school party," the older boy added. "Sorry, kid. Maybe in a couple more years."

Crane tried to sound casual, but as a disappointed Daniel nodded his head in understanding, the older boy noticed his brother wince as he moved forward on the bed.

"What is it?" Crane asked, hoping Daniel wouldn't guess that he already knew the answer.

In return, Daniel flashed him a grin and carefully lay back down on his stomach.

"You don't have to worry. I just had a talk with big brother earlier, that's all."

"Adam?" Crane pretended to guess.

"Yeah, licked me real good."

Crane knew his brother was putting up a front for his sake, trying to sound proud and all, but it wasn't necessary. "Are you okay?"

"Sure, I'm all right." Daniel's smile faded though as his brother turned back to his dresser to change into a clean pair of jeans. "Hey Crane, did Adam or Brian ever whup you before?"

Crane remained quiet a while, trying to decide how to answer. Sure, both of his older brothers had given him a swat or two in the past, usually when his sarcastic mouth got the best of him, but he didn't think that was the answer Daniel was looking for. There had only been one time, when Crane was thirteen, that Adam had really laid into him, but he wasn't so sure he wanted to tell Daniel about it. Instead, he tried to skirt around the question. "Dad gave me a few when I was younger."

"Did he ever use his belt?"

Crane spun around to face his little brother, stunned by the question. "Adam whipped you?"

"Yeah."

"What'd you do, Daniel?" In a flash, Crane moved to his brother's side and sat on the floor next to his bed. Though the boy didn't look particularly wounded, the fact that he was wearing his usual jeans and t-shirt made it hard to tell.

Daniel decided to tell Crane most of the story anyway, from taking the eggs, to getting caught throwing them at Pete's truck. He left out the part about Ford's involvement, and the fact that he'd cried like a baby after Adam punished him for fear that Crane would think less of him for both. As it turned out, his brother was none-too-pleased with anything he learned, despite the fact that he had a whole bunch of chores coming too.

"I guess if anyone deserved that belt it was you. What made you think it would be okay to do something like this?"

Daniel buried his face in his comforter and sighed, thinking it a bad idea to admit that he thought it sounded like fun. Crane worried from his own harsh tone that he had upset his brother more, and he knew it wasn't really his place to judge.

"Are you okay?" He placed a gentle hand on Daniel's back, worried he'd broken their line of trust already.

"I'm fine." As Daniel turned over to his side he explained, "After Adam talked to me and told me why it was wrong to act this way, I was kind of glad he licked me. At least I know he doesn't hate me."

"Nobody could hate you."

Propping himself up on one elbow, Daniel shot Crane a smile. "You never answered my question earlier. Did Dad ever use his belt?"

"Once," Crane said with a slight nod. "But it wasn't like the way he gave it to Adam and Brian."

"Why was it different?"

"It's hard to explain. I don't know how much you remember about the way Dad punished us, but when Brian and Adam and I were kids it was sort of a big deal when we got in trouble. With Mom, she would swat us every once and a while when she thought we were getting out of line, but it was mostly while we walked by or if we were getting mouthy. Dad never lost his temper the same way. He used to send us upstairs or outside, and he would talk to us a good long time before he did anything."

"That's how Adam is now," Daniel said. "And Brian."

"Yes, but they're kind of like Mom too. So one time, when I was I guess nine, Dad warned all of us boys not to go near the creek because they thought the water was contaminated and he didn't want us to get hurt. But Brian wanted to go there anyway, and the two of us sneaked off after chores so we could see for ourselves what all the fuss was about. When we came home it was well after dark, and when we saw Dad standing on the front porch waiting for us, Brian told me to hide out so that he could take the rap for me. I waited a long time for him to come back, and then I started to worry that he forgot about me. I decided to go back to the house and face everybody myself. Just as I came around the side of the barn, Dad and Brian were stepping outside, and when Dad realized that I had been with Brian, he twisted me around and gave me two hard licks with his belt."

"Did it hurt?"

"Like hell," Crane admitted, "but I felt bad too because I knew that he usually gave it to Adam and Brian on their bare skin. I didn't mind taking those hits though, because it was better than watching Dad turn around and give Brian another five just for bringing me down to the creek with him."

"Was Brian mad at you?"

"No. He actually apologized to me later for dragging me into it, but I still felt bad. Then I heard Mom and Dad get into an argument, because she said I was too young for that kind of punishment. I even heard Dad tell her that he felt sorry for losing his temper, but he never said anything about that to me."

"I'm sorry, Crane," Daniel said, thinking his brother was still upset about the event after all these years.

When Crane felt a hand on his shoulder he had to laugh. "It's all right. Dad and I had a few years of good memories after that, don't worry."

As he stood up from the bed and turned away from his brother, Crane decided he couldn't leave Daniel like this, not when he knew he was putting up a brave front. He didn't want his brother to be alone all night, and knowing Daniel, the kid would probably try and hide his face from the rest of the family. Deciding it best to stay home and keep Daniel company, Crane resolved to call Cathy after supper and let her know that he changed his mind about going to the party.