Sorry for the delay in posting. I know I told some of the reviewers that I would post sooner. But some things came up. Hope this chapter is worth the wait.
WARNING: This chapter contains the spanking of a minor.
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Chris was bored, very bored. The young girl was currently sitting at Neal's desk, trying to figure out how the man folded the origami. She had found a flower on his desk and had unfolded it and tried folding it back the same way, but hers looked nothing like Neal's had.
She tossed the paper back onto the desk and looked up to Peter's office, El and Tiffany were still up there talking fashion. Something that the twelve-year-old girl cared nothing about.
As she sat there, moping, a thought came to her. As long as Wexler was out there, she would be stuck inside. So why not help catch Wexler? She knew Peter would be mad, but figured that a little corner time and cleaning would be worth it if she could go outside and actually have fun once her punishment was over. But she knew the fact that Peter and El would be disappointed in her actions was harder to accept.
Chris grabbed a piece of paper and a pen, then wrote a note and left it on Neal's desk. Then, after checking to make sure no one was watching her, she slipped out of the room. Her plan was simple. Wonder around in a public area until Wexler or one of his goons spotted her, then wait on Peter. She didn't think Wexler would try anything in public, her plan was fail proof.
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A few minutes later, El and Tiffany were wondering where Chris went. They soon had several agents also looking for the missing girl.
"Damnit." Tiffany mumbled, spotting the note on Neal's desk.
El stood behind the teen and read the note.
"I know how to get Wexler." El said, reading the note. She didn't hear Peter and Neal as they walked up behind her. "I'm going to draw him out to a public place, then stall him and call Peter. I will make sure to stay in a crowded area, I will be safe. P.S. Since I'm live bait, please have Peter bring me some Scooby snacks when he comes. Chris."
"What are Scooby snacks?" Neal asked, causing El to jump slightly.
"Peter." El said, her voice panicky. "You've got to find her, before Wexler does."
"She's safe." Peter assured his wife. "Until I get my hands on her, that is. Wexler and Williams are both in custody."
"Thank God." El sighed in relief.
"Where would she go to lure Wexler out?" Peter asked Tiffany, a scowl on his face. The teen could tell he was really mad at her sister.
"Chris thinks that Wexler is still looking for us, so she probably figures he'll check out our usual haunting spots."
"Okay, where are the usual spots?"
"I'm not telling you right now." Tiffany said, then took a step back when Peter glared at her.
"Excuse me?" He asked, trough gritted teeth.
"I know what Chris did was stupid and dangerous." The teen said. "And I know she deserves whatever you do to her; I know you would never hurt her. But you are mad right now, you need to calm down. Chris reacts to hostility with hostility, which will only make you both madder."
Peter sighed, she was right. "Okay." Peter said, "I'm calming down, and I will be calmer when we find her."
"My best guess would be the entrance to the zoo, we hang there a lot to pick pockets."
"Good place." Neal said. "Most people are too busy herding their kids to pay a lot of attention to their wallets."
This time Peter's glare was directed at Neal.
"What are Scooby snacks?" Neal asked again, ignoring the older man's glare.
"Haven't you watched Scooby Doo?" Tiffany asked.
"The cartoon with the big dog, him and some kids chase ghosts or something?" Neal asked.
"Yeah, only usually the ghosts aren't real." The teen explained.
"You can explain it to him later." Peter said. "Come on Neal."
"Remember, Honey." El said, as she kissed her husband. "She's just a kid, a kid who is extremely bored being cooped up in here."
"Chris doesn't do bored very good." Tiffany said.
"It's getting late." Peter told El. "Why don't you go ahead and take Tiffany to our house, her and Chris can stay there tonight."
"Okay."
"Can we go see Matt?" Tiffany wanted to know.
"Sure we can." El smiled.
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Chris was standing near the entrance of the zoo, realizing that her plan was not working. She was feeling guilty about her plan. She knew Peter and the other agents were doing everything they could to find Wexler, yet she still decided to go out and try to find him on her own.
"No use dwelling on it now." She mumbled to herself.
Not wanting to attract attention from just standing around, the young girl started wondering around the entrance. There was a small building that housed several fish tanks of various sizes, so she went inside and started looking around.
A few minutes later, while she was looking at a large tank full of clown fish, she saw Peter and Neal walk by the building. She ducked behind the large aquarium and hoped that they didn't see her.
"Come out Christina." Peter's stern voice boomed. The young girl stood up and walked from behind the fish tank. Peter and Neal both looked angry, Peter more so then Neal.
"What do you think you are doing here?" Peter asked, his voice hard.
"Looking for Nemo." She said, flashing a smile and nodding towards the clown fish filled tank. "Found him."
"I don't see anything amusing about this." Peter said. "Let's go."
Then he walked off. Chris swallowed hard, then followed him. The ride to the Burke house was made in complete silence. By the time Peter pulled to a stop in front of the house, it was getting dark.
"Why are we here?" Chris asked, as Neal opened her door.
"You and Tiff are staying here tonight." Neal said, giving her a sympathetic smile. He wasn't sure what Peter had planned, but knew that it would not be present for the young girl.
"What about Wexler?" She asked, as she got out of the car.
"He's behind bars." Peter said, gruffly.
"He is?" Chris smiled.
"Yes." Peter said, his voice a little more gentle. "It's over, he can't hurt you anymore."
"Can I go see Matt then?" She asked hopefully.
"In the morning." Peter said. "El and Tiffany are stopping by there on their way here." Then his voice grew stern again. "We have some things to discuss."
The smile vanished from her face, as she slowly started to follow Peter into the house.
"I think I'm going home." Neal said. "I'll see you two in the morning."
Chris stopped walking and turned to him with pleading eyes. "Please don't go." She whispered.
"Relax." Neal smiled. "He won't kill you, too much paper work is involved in that."
"Inside Christina." Peter's voice boomed.
Chris swallowed hard and then turned and walked inside. Peter sat on the coffee table in front of the sofa, and motioned for the young girl to sit on the sofa.
"Explain." Peter said, as soon as she sat down.
Chris looked down at her hands and whispered. "I was just trying to help."
"Eyes up." Peter said. His voice was calm, but firm. "And I want the truth."
Chris looked up into his eyes and saw that the anger that had once been there was gone.
"I was bored." She admitted. "I knew I'd be cooped up in that building until Wexler was caught." Saying it out loud made her notice how childish and stupid the idea really was.
"Do I even have to tell you how dangerous that was?" Peter asked.
"No Sir." She said.
"I told you to let me handle finding Wexler."
"I know."
"I am not about to sit back and watch you make choices that can cost you your life." Peter reached out and gently took her hands into his much bigger ones. "I really care about you, Chris. You, Tiffany, and Matt are wonderful kids. You deserve so much better then living a life of cons and picking pockets."
"You really believe that?" Chris asked, as her eyes watered slightly.
"Yes I do." Peter assured her. "You can do anything you set your mind to, you have the talent and intelligence to succeed in just about everything. But you have got to start thinking before you act, you've got to realize that all of your actions have consequences."
Peter was quite for a moment, then he said. "You know I have to punish you for this, right?"
"Yes Sir."
"Do you trust me?"
"Yes." She said, without hesitation. "I trust you with my life, and with my heart."
Peter nodded, then said. "What you did can not be repeated. Since Wexler was already in custody, you were not actually in any real danger. But you didn't know that, you thought Wexler was still out there. You risked your life, and I will not allow you to think that that is acceptable. You have earned yourself a spanking."
Chris's eyes went wide, and she nervously bit her lower lip.
"Let's get this over with." Peter said, standing up. He sat on the sofa beside the young girl and gently took her upper arm, then guided her over his lap.
A small voice in Chris's head was screaming at her, telling her that Peter had no right spanking her. That she should get up and run. But a much louder voice was calmly telling her that she deserved this spanking. That what she did was wrong and that she had to pay for her behavior. That voice was also telling her that she was lucky to have met Peter, someone who was willing to try to teach her right from wrong. Someone who truly wanted to help her.
Peter wrapped an arm around the young girl's waist and raised his hand to begin the spanking. Then he sighed and lowered his hand, wondering if he was doing the right thing. Chris was not his daughter, did he have the right to discipline here as if she were?
But thoughts of what could have happened to her if they hadn't found Wexler and if Wexler had found her before they did rushed trough his mind. She could have been killed, he could not let that slide. He cared too much for her to do that. Peter raised his hand again and brought it down hard onto her jean clad butt, causing the young girl to jump slightly.
The first swat was followed by a flurry of additional swats, causing Chris to start to squirm. Peter had a hard hand. After a few moments, Peter stopped the spanking. But his arm remained around her waist.
Chris's butt felt as if it was on fire, her breath came out hitched. And her eyes started watering.
"Why are you getting spanked?" Peter asked, employing a method he learned from his Dad. The elder Burke always made sure his children knew why they were being spanked.
When Chris didn't answer, Peter landed three hard slaps to the center of her butt.
"Owww!" Chris cried out, as a few tears leaked from her eyes and ran down her cheeks.
"I asked a question."
"Because I snuck out of the bureau." Chris said, as she softly cried. "Because I put myself in danger." Then she started crying harder as she realized something. "Because you love me enough not to let me get away with pulling crap like this."
Peter paused his hand in midair. Chris was right, he did love the three kids.
"We're almost done, Chris." Peter said, landing another sharp slap to her butt.
"Ohh!" The young girl cried out.
"You never put yourself in unnecessary danger." The sentence was followed by four swats, two to each cheek.
"I…I won't." The young girl cried, as she cried harder. Her butt was throbbing and she knew sitting wouldn't come easy for a little while.
"And you never sneak off on your own like that when someone is out to hurt you." Another four hard swats.
"N…never again." She cried.
Peter brought the spanking to an end with four swats to her tender sit spots.
"OWWWW!"
Peter gently rubbed a hand up and down her slender back as she cried out her pain.
"It's over, Honey." He said.
Peter gently lifted the crying girl and sat her on his lap, being careful not to let her scorched butt make contact with the rough material of his pants. He wrapped his arms around her, and she returned the hug.
"And you are right." He said, softly. "I do love you very much."
"I love you too." She said, as she buried her face into his chest and cried.
Peter held her for several minutes, as she cried. And then after she stopped crying. After a while her breathing even out and Peter realized that she had fallen asleep. He carefully stood up and carried the sleeping girl upstairs and into a guest bedroom. He gently laid her on the bed, on her stomach, and pulled off her shoes and socks. Peter covered her up, then stood there and watched her sleep.
"Sleep tight, Sweetheart." Peter said softly. He heard the front door open and knew his wife and Tiffany were home.
He went back down stairs and was greeted by Satch, who nuzzled against his leg for attention.
"Hey, boy." Peter said, scratching behind his ears. "Happy to be home?"
"I don't know about him." El said. "But I am."
"Where's Chris?" Tiffany asked.
"Upstairs asleep. How's Matt?"
"He is the center of attention." El smiled. "He has all of the nurses wrapped around his finger, they are all gushing over him. But he thinks it's too mushy, except for when Stacy and Rene gush over him."
"I'm guessing those are the prettiest nurses." Peter said with a chuckle.
"No." El replied. "Those are the nurses who bring him comic books and ice cream."
"Smart boy." Peter said. "You always go with the women bearing comic books and ice cream."
"He can get out in the morning." Tiffany said with a smile. "The doctor said there won't be any permanent damage to his shoulder or anything. His arm will be in a sling for a couple weeks, and he'll be a little sore for a while. But he'll recover quickly."
"That's great." Peter said.
Tiffany let out a wide yawn.
"Why don't you go on an head to bed." El said.
"Sounds good." The teenager said. "Night Peter, night El."
"Goodnight Honey." El said.
"Night, Tiff." Peter said.
"So." El said, after Tiffany had gone upstairs. "How did it go with Chris?"
"Alright." Peter said, as they walked into the living room and sat side by side on the sofa. "I spanked her."
"I figured you would."
"El." Peter said, trying to find the words. "When I was spanking her, I asked her why she was being spanked. She listed the things she did wrong, but then she said something that really got me thinking."
"What's that?"
"She said I was spanking her because I loved her enough not to let her get away with pulling crap like that."
"She's right."
"I know."
"I love them too."
Peter turned sideways so him and El were looking into each other's eyes.
"It will be a huge responsibility." Peter said.
"We can handle it." El replied. "I know it won't be easy at times, I know there will be days when we want to pull our hair out. But I also know that those three kids belong with us, they belong in our family."
"How about we tell them in the morning, when Matt's here." Peter said, a huge smile on his face.
"Okay." El was also smiling widely.
"Have I told you lately how much I love you?" Peter asked.
"Yes, but you can tell me again."
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TBC. I have one more chapter of this story to post. I will post it as soon as I can.