This is my first story. I don't own anything from the original movie or the TNT television show "Animal Kingdom." Later chapters will contain spanking/discipline of adults. If this is not your type of story, please do not read.

Title: Things His Brothers Wouldn't Do

Show: Animal Kingdom, based on what should have happened after this incident in Season 1, Episode 6 "Child Care"

Rating: M

Part 1:The Ruse

What the hell was wrong with him? Why had he done it? It was moment of panic, of stupidity. Really, a moment of greed and cowardice. He knew it was wrong about anyway you could spin it. And spin it, he tried. He thought she was dead. He needed the money. After the blotched failure of the jewelry store heist, Craig was getting desperate. The drugs and lifestyle that he preferred weren't cheap. Renn didn't even give him much of a break on prices. Yup, at first he tried to blame Smurf for what he did. Leaving Renn to overdose alone in her little beachside bungalow. Now only that, he had stolen from her, the jewelry, the drugs, the money.

When he got the phone call the night of Pope's birthday party at the strip club, he had almost not answered it. He was trying to forget about it. He figured someone would call him about Renn dying at some point, so he plucked his courage and answered it. Only it wasn't some random friend calling with bad news, it was Renn herself. She was alive and wanted him to visit her in the ER. At first, he felt a sense of shock, then relief. It was all good. He could make it up to her, she would never know his part in it. She asked him to take care of it while still in her sick bed. He'd agreed. Of course, he had agreed. He'd make it up to her and be the hero. She would never know...and yet she did know. He didn't know when she had known. It didn't much matter now. She had gotten her revenge. Craig had been having such a great time at the party. Her cousins had great stuff. Sure, he'd like another line. Then, Renn asked for him to make her scream. Oh, yeah. Craig was so glad he had bailed on working tonight and told Smurf off... It was all a bit blurry now. They had sex in some kind of freezer, he wanted to do it again, but then something changed.

Then, Renn told him that she knew. She knew that it was him, Craig, who had robbed her. He had ended up tied naked to a chair with a gun on him. He had begged for them to just "give him a good beating and call it even." Yet they said that he had to od and die, just like he had left her to die. The cousin shot him full of what they told him was h. Four dimes.

"Don't you know who my family is?" he had screamed as he thought he was dying. He pissed himself. They mocked him. Was this how it all ended? He started to think he was going to die. He begged them to call 911. They pulled out plastic and discussed where to dump his corpse. Then, the ruse was over. They gave him a phone call. At gunpoint, he called Smurf. She wasn't happy then, and she wasn't happy now.

Smurf did her thing. She gave the cousins a wad of hundreds, not what they had asked for, but enough. Then, she gave them his motorcycle! His ducati. "You misbehave, you lose your toys!" Smurf had retorted. So not only did he lose his dealer, his girl, and his ride, he had now lost his pride. How the fuck would he ever show his face again?

The car ride was tense and long. He felt cold and sick and ruined, but Smurf had rescued him. He thought maybe she thought the whole "almost executed" thing had been enough. But this was not his lucky day. He had to face the fact that he brought this all on himself. Before getting out of the car, Smurf told him that this was the last time she would bail him out. He could hear the truth in her voice. She wasn't bluffing. Was he losing her, too? Did she think he was stupid? No, she said that he was fearless. He had to do better. He had to be better. But how? He couldn't live with the guilt of what he had done anymore. It was time to grow up a little and clear the air.

Part 2: Time to Pay

Craig couldn't help himself. He started crying and blubbering when Smurf left the car. It was too much. In one damn night, it seems, he had lost all her respect. She was ashamed of him And lost big. For the first time, he was unsure of his place. He couldn't even think of what Renn was thinking. She was the coolest chick he had ever known and he had left her for dead. What kind of asshole does that?

"Don't care, you pussy", Craig muttered to himself. That was too easy. He wished that he was young again. He would screw up, well, a lot. Maybe he wasn't that smart and was fearless, but that is a recipe for getting into a lot of trouble. Smurf would forgive him back then. Well, after he had paid the price, her price. All her boys knew that. They all knew the score. Why did he push it this time? Yup, he had to go there. If he didn't do this, he couldn't live with himself.

Slowly opening the door, Craig got out of the trunk. He roughly wiped his eyes. He was dragging his feet. Knowing what he had to do, didn't make it any easier. Who was home tonight? With his luck, probably everyone.

Craig entered the house like a zombie and took a shower. It was the same beautiful house that he had left hours earlier when he had tried an insurrection to not do the job tonight. He just HAD to go to this party. He picked drugs and sex over his family and look how that turned out. Craig didn't feel exhausted anymore, he felt resigned to do what he needed to. Let's just get this over with. He put on sweats and an old sleeveless surfing shirt. Sure, he walked around shirtless and sometimes pants-less, plenty, but not tonight. He knocked softly on Smurf's door. She didn't close it much so that wasn't exactly a good sign. "Mama", he whispered. He dragged a hand through his brown hair and rubbed his sun tanned face.

"Come in, Baby." She had been expecting him. His mother wasn't just beautiful physically, but she had the most musical voice. She deserved a better son.

Smurf was sitting on her bed in a silky flowered robe. From the back she looked 35 again. The round wooden paddle was sitting beside her on the bed. He remembered it well. Yes, she had been waiting for him. She said he was fearless and could do things his brothers couldn't do, but could he do this? His handsome face flushed and he took a deep breath.

"I know you're mad. I deserve it. I deserve whatever you decide," he blurted out. "I'm made at myself. I can't just go on like this."

"Come here", she purred as she patted the bed beside her.

He trudged over and sat down. Tear were starting to form in his eyes. God, would this night ever end? He just wanted things to go back to before that day that Renn overdosed. The day that he had robbed her and left her to die alone.

Smurf turned to look up at him. It's funny now that he was so much bigger, but he felt so much smaller.

"I only do these things because I love you. I know you're hurting, Baby." Smurf rubbed his arm. She didn't seem mad anymore, just sad.

Tears was running down her face. He looked down ashamed.

"Save those tears, my boy. You're going to need them. Come on, you know what to do."

She patted her lap.

Part 3: Too Late for Regrets

This was hell, he thought, as he got into a way too familiar position of being over her knees. She moved back to accommodate his bed took most of the weight, it wasn't like he was five anymore. He wiggled a bit and she adjusted until he was right where she wanted him. What the hell couldn't he have just dialed 911 when he had the chance? Then, none of this would be happening. Renn wouldn't hate him. His mother wouldn't be doubting him. He also wouldn't be ashamed of himself. Damn.

The first smack over his sweat pants was more muffled than he anticipated. He didn't feel anything except relief at first. Maybe if his brothers or nephew were home, they wouldn't even hear. It was a big house. The door was locked, right? Whack! He was knocked out of his thoughts by that second smack. He stared at the carpet waiting. Christ, he was 30 and here he still was? No one of them ever really out grew this position, not in this house. That didn't make it any better right now, though. The third crack on his left cheek was harder. Now right, now left. Back and forth and he was starting to feel some heat. The real pain, though, was inside of him. The shame of his screw ups.

Smack! He could do this. It wasn't that bad. Then he heard Smurf say, "Lift up, Baby." He did and down came the sweats. He felt cool air on the backside that he never thought twice of showing off around the house. He shifted trying to move out of the danger zone. Smurf's elbow pressed into his back holding him firmly in place.

Whack! God, that hurt. For a small woman, his mom had a hard hand. Bang, whack, crack. She was going faster and he was having trouble keeping still. She was strict about that when she was spanking. You could cry, but God help you if you got too much out of position.

A series of spanks on his lower checks shattered his composure. Her hand was really hard. How was that even possible? Don't cry. Renn had told him earlier she wanted to make him scream. Well, now he was about to scream and not in a good way. He hurt her. That hurt him more than the assault he was feeling now. And damn this hurt. He shifted and wiggled. Craig just couldn't help it anymore.

"Stop moving, Sweetie. You know you deserve this."

He took a breathe. He had this. Whack! Whack! Whack!

"It's been a long time since I gave you a good paddling, Sweetie," Smurf said in a low voice. "I think maybe too long."

"Sorry, Ma", he gasped. He was getting there.

Craig felt something shift and then harder hit him. Yep, it was time for the wood. With so many kids around, Smurf always kept a paddle handy. Luckily, most of the time, the threat worked to keep her boys behaving. But when they crossed her line, they felt her displeasure keenly. He had been pushing it for a while now, he admitted to himself between loud swats.

The little paddle was light, but seemed to slam down again and again on his tender behind. The burning was unbearable. He bucked and tried to protect himself by throwing his hands behind him, but Smurf pinned his hands behind him.

"None of that, Baby. You know better!" She sounded amused.

Craig was pinned and could do nothing but take it.

The swats were sharper now, faster. He started blubbering, sobbing.

"I'm sorry. Sorry, I won't do it...again."

"You screwed up, Baby. But you are being punished. You're damn right you won't do it again"

Swat. .

"I want you to remember this paddle the next time you even think of screwing up. Do you understand me?"

"Wa..wa...Yes, I'm done. Please, no more. I get it. OWw. Ow, No..."

Crack,crack,crack. He couldn't take anymore. He almost couldn't breathe. Yet, he didn't have a choice. Just like Renn didn't have a choice when he left her for dead.

Finally, after he had given up the struggle. Tears had dripped over the bed spread soaking it. It was over. He felt a hand on his back and heard soothing words.

"How are you going to make this right?" Smurf asked.

Craig spat out, "I will. I will. I'm sorry." Smack!

"That's not what I asked you, young man. What are you going to do?"

"I'm gonna tell Renn that I'm sorry. I'm going to stop partying so much. Help the family more. Stop arguing. I'll be better. You'll see."

"I know. It's over. All is forgiven. Now, you have to make it up to her. That's a good plan. Then, you have to forgive yourself. She might need some time. There's a chance she won't want to see you again. You need to be prepared for that."

He slumped down to the floor nodding. He put his head on her lap and cried more than he had in years. Through the pain, the fierce burning in his backside, he somehow felt better inside. He heard Smurf put the paddle back in her bedside table. For a second, he wondered if he could burn it, like they had schemed to do when they were kids. He chuckled a bit to himself. Nope, that had been a mistake.

"What's so funny, Baby?" Smurf smiled down at him, wiping his face with a tissue.

"Nothing. I just love you is all." He really did. He felt like he could not make things better. He would sleep on his stomach, but he felt better.

"I know, Baby. I love you, too."

With a final light swat, Smurf sent him to bed a new man...but always her fearless boy.

The End