Chapter 6

Author's note: As I've mentioned this episode is based off the episode The Deceiver, which does not belong to me. You should definitely use this story as an excuse to go back and watch it, as it's always been one of my favorites, and of course to get more detail regarding the case. Thank you as always for taking the time to read and review, as being somewhat new to sharing my writing with other people, it's really helpful to me. As you may have guessed, in this chapter, Myah definitely gets the law laid down on her. I wrote it around 3 am when I couldn't sleep and if you can, definitely give me feedback, as I struggle a bit with discipline scenes, honestly, knowing what's too much detail, what people want to read, etc. I don't want anyone to feel uncomfortable, but i want to have fun and again, i was trying to understand Myah's viewpoint at 3 am lol. Hope you all are having a good week and better luck with co-workers than Steve did in this episode, lol.

Steve shifted side to side, desperately trying to take the strain off his shoulders. His wrists were cuffed and chained above his head high enough that his toes could barely touch the ground. His face dripped with trails of sweat and blood, causing his cheeks to sting. His ribs and abdomen ached from having already endured an onslaught of blows that would have probably ended most other men. This was far from his first rodeo and having experienced it before, he was pretty certain he had some cracked ribs. The beating he'd taken was nothing compared to the mental beating he was giving himself at the moment though. He'd already gone over every method of possible escape and was unfortunately at an impasse. At least for now, he was stuck, but as soon as the situation shifted, he would be taking action as well.

And so for now, he would continue to berate himself for not having asked more questions. For blindly trusting Jenna. He prided himself on being able to get a solid read on people, and yet couldn't have been more shocked when he'd turned to see her aiming her pistol at him. And then to realize she was somehow in league with Wo Fat. Steve had already spent more than enough time with Wo Fat, with the other man demanding information on the mysterious Shelbourne. The name Steve himself was desperate to find out about. Steve would have given up on ever finding any information regarding Shelbourne if it meant he could be home with his kids again.

Nahele and Myah's faces passed through his mind. Nahele's smile that could light up a room and his dark eyes, trusting him so completely that he would never abandon him the way his biological father had. Still struggling to relate to him in the way a typical father and son would. Steve lived for the day that Nahele would come at him and attempt to wrestle him to the ground. Steve had no intention of letting him win of course, but he knew Nahele would benefit from that strong physical touch and that it would mean he'd started to move past some of his past trauma. Heck, Steve was pretty sure that Nahele still lived in fear of breaking a rule and what it would look like if Steve laid down the law, now that he was his father, and not just a cop.

And Myah… she reminded him so much of himself. He adored her sassy sense of humor, her sweet nature and the way she loved to curl up on his lap, even though she insisted she was too old. She desperately wanted to belong but was so afraid of rejection… he knew she still didn't entirely trust the finality of the adoption. She differed from Nahele in that she pushed boundaries on a semi regular basis, not really in a rebellious manner, but to ensure that they were there. And to ensure that the boundaries always brought her back to him and to their family, no matter what line she'd crossed.

Steve's heart ached at the thought of the two amazing kids that he was so proud of and blessed to call his own. His own little family that was healing him from the inside out. And here he was, halfway around the globe, in a situation that was not the worst he'd ever been in, but was close. He'd told them he'd be home in four days, and although he had no way of knowing the current time, he was pretty sure he was pushing the end of day three. No doubt they were already worried, having not heard from him, as was his team. Especially Danny. His best friend had tried to talk him out of this venture, but had still been more than willing to stay and watch out for his kids.

Steve recalled the dark mood Myah had been in on the morning of his departure. Thinking back now, he was pretty sure that something had been off the night before too, but he hadn't taken the time to figure out what. Knowing her propensity to spiral when she was scared or felt out of control, he had no doubt Danny had his hands full with her. And it was his fault, Steve grimaced. He would owe his daughter an apology upon his return and was currently facing the natural consequences for his own actions. And as bad as he currently felt, he knew that when he got out of this mess… assuming he did get out of this mess… he was very likely going to have to ensure there were consequences for her actions as well. She pushed hard and desperately needed to find those boundary lines solid. As much as he hated to do it, he was going to have to come down pretty hard on her if she'd acted up for Danny. That was something he was not going to tolerate.

The door opened and Steve watched as one of Wo Fat's men shoved Jenna Kaye in ahead of him. She was crying as the man roughly chained her to the wall. He was livid at having been double-crossed by her, but wasn't surprised to see her now as just another victim of Wo Fat's. The door slammed and they were alone. Steve pinned Jenna with his gaze, and she dropped her eyes to the floor, unable to look at him. His throat was low and gravelly from the beating he'd taken. "Why?"

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"Are you all finished? Can I clear those trays?" Myah asked politely. Receiving multiple nods, she carefully gathered up the cardback platters, plastic silverware and drinks, and tossed them into the trash and recycling cans near the food truck.

"You keikis can head home for dinner." Kamekona called over the counter. "I'll be there a little later. Take leftover rice if you want."

"Okay." Myah responded. It was almost seven-thirty and she was starving. She loved his food and hadn't thought she would ever tire of it, but a full afternoon and evening of smelling it while serving, and worse while cleaning up, thought she would really prefer something else for dinner. She didn't want to hurt his feelings however. She was actually grateful that he'd kept her busy that day. Nahele had already been scheduled, but if not for the food truck, she'd have been stuck at home after her babysitting class. She looked up when her brother rounded the corner.

"You want to grab Subway?" he asked.

Gratefully she nodded and followed him towards the truck. Nahele turned a spotify playlist on almost immediately. Neither of them were much for small talk, especially when there was only one thing that seemed important enough to talk about.

Seeing that the drive through line was crowded, Myah ran inside to order her favorite, sweet onion chicken teriyaki on sourdough bread, and salami on honey wheat for Nahele. Myah picked at her chips in the car, deciding to wait until they were home to eat. She knew Nahele would probably head for the television, but asked him anyway, "You want to eat outside?"

"You haven't been outside enough today?"

"Please?" She poked her lower lip out at him. He sighed and nodded, before following her out to the two chairs set out by the ocean. Myah couldn't remember the two of them having sat out there before. It was a common place for Steve and Danny to park themselves while drinking beer and she'd sat there a few times with Steve before Nahele had moved in with them full time.

"I saw Lynn this morning. While you were at your class. She was coming back from surfing." Nahele broke their silence first.

"Oh. I haven't seen her since…"

"Since you listened in and thought Dad didn't want you?"

"Yeah, I guess so. And after having been attacked by those onions."

Nahele chuckled. "She asked how we were doing."

"It makes me feel kind of bad. I mean… I didn't like her, but Dad must have a little bit to have been dating her, you know? I hate to think they broke up just because of me… us."

Nahele shrugged. "It wasn't like we did anything on purpose to run her off."

"Do you think Dad will find another girlfriend? Or get married?" Myah hadn't really considered this idea in a while and wasn't sure how she felt about it.

"I don't know. I've seen a lot of women go after him. And there's Catherine."

"Who?"

"Catherine. They met in the naval academy, I think. She was stationed here for a while and they definitely had a thing, but she was transferred away a while back. I only met her a couple times."

"And then there's Lori…"

"I don't think that's going anywhere. Otherwise Dad would have asked her to stay when she told him she had feelings for him, you know?"

"I guess. I mean she cares enough that I think she went with Joe and the team to North Korea. So I can't completely dislike her."

"Do you just not want him to have a girlfriend? I'm pretty sure he will at some point."

"No, I'm okay with him having a girlfriend. I think. As long as she's nice. And doesn't try to take the place of my mom. I mean, would you want that?"

"Of course, not. I mean my mom's my mom. If Dad got married, she would be a stepmom or just another part of the family."

"So this Catherine… does she look different than Lori and Lynn? Or is she tall and blond and really intense…"

"She's tall. But no, she's got dark hair. I don't know what color her eyes are."

"I need details Nahele. What's wrong with you?!"

"I met her like twice. And I was shy! Jeeze."

Myah shook her head in mock frustration at him. "I wish he and Ellie would date. That would be like having the coolest big sister ever around. Or Kono. But I think she has a boyfriend, actually."

"Yeah, a big sister who could make rules for you."

Myah scrunched her face at him. "You don't make up rules for me."

"I should. Or you should just listen to me. I was thinking about it and I never should have let you climb up that trellis."

"Let me? It wasn't like you could have stopped me."

Nahele raised an eyebrow at that comment that made him look exactly like Steve.

"You… you think they're doing okay? It's been more than a whole day since the team left."

"It takes a while to get there, Myah."

"I know. I just… what if…" Nahele grabbed her upper arm to stop her.

"You can't think that. Don't say it. Dad knows we need him. He'll come 'll bring him home."

Myah could only nod through the blur of tears that suddenly crowded her vision. "You know what's weird… is that in the last few days thinking of him and calling him dad has been easy. Like I'm finally getting used to it."

Nahele smiled briefly at this. "Yeah, me too."

"Do you ever think about your other… about Kaili?" It was a topic she generally did not bring up, preferring to leave that to Nahele's preference, but their conversation was already emotionally charged enough that she felt she had nothing to lose and so plowed ahead.
"Sometimes. I really just want to leave that all behind, you know? Steve's the man I want to be like. Sometimes, I worry though… like what if I end up being more like Kaili."

"Like, how?"

"Like… just selfish and mean. And being okay with killing someone."

"That'd be impossible."

"Why?"

"Well, for one, that's just not your personality at all. I'm guessing your mom was a super sweet person. So I'm sure you take after her. And you already take after Dad. Sometimes you do little things, where you sound like him or move like him, and it's kind of disturbing, frankly. And I'm not saying I don't think you're a complete pain most of the time, because you are…but you're not selfish or mean. Plus, if you were, Dad would kick your butt."

Nahele rolled his eyes, but some of the tension seemed to dissipate from his shoulders. "I guess you're right. I'd rather him kick my butt than kick me out."

"Which he would never do."

"I know. I almost just kind of want it to happen though, so I know, you know?"

Myah looked at him in amazement. "Oh, I know. But I'm pretty sure I'm living proof of that."

Both teens jumped when Myah's phone suddenly vibrated. Myah's hands were almost trembling as she picked it up, before quickly handing it to Nahele and pulling her knees up to her chest and biting her knuckles. "You read it.

Nahele cleared his throat and read aloud. "We've got Steve. He's injured but alive and will be fine. Will land some time tomorrow, will text ETA. Behave yourself. Uncle Joe."

Tears seeped through the lashes on Myah's closed eyes. "He's okay. Thanks Uncle Joe." Standing up, she wrapped her arms around Nahele from the back. "It's going to be okay, big brother."

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Steve leaned back against Joe's knees, the rifle still tight against his shoulder, his heart warm at being surrounded by people who had risked their lives to come after him. There was a round of laughter as Danny started teasing one of the members of Seal Team 9 who had announced his thankfulness about finishing the mission in time for his rapidly approaching wedding.

"By the way, Steve…" Joe said, still chuckling. "Your daughter's a pistol."

"I know." Steve responded. "Danny, how hard am I going to need to beat her ass when I get home?"

"Awww…" Danny waved a hand dismissively. "I'll let her give you the details. But I really adore that kid. Don't be too hard on her. Really, anything that might have happened stemmed from her being worried about you."

"I know." Steve sighed and allowed himself to close his eyes for a very brief minute.

By the time they made it back to Oahu, the sun was setting the next day. Steve had been correct about having several cracked ribs and it seemed more parts of his body were swollen and bruised purple than not. He could see his family before they could see him, standing out on the air strip, Kamekona's bright yellow shirt making them easy to spot. Nahele's shirt was also yellow, but a pale tone that contrasted to the darkness of his skin. His blue shorts were the only pair he usually wore when he wasn't in surfer trunks. He was standing with his arms folded across his chest and Steve was struck with how strong he looked. Myah was next to Nahele, her dark hair whipping across her face in the wind. She had on ragged denim shorts and a loose long sleeved gray t-shirt with a front pocket of bright turquoise bandana material. Her fashion choices more and more reflected that of the island.

It seemed like an eternity before the plane came to a stop. Steve stood and reached for a duffle. He didn't think his wince from the sharp rib pain was that noticeable but Danny certainly did. "Steven! No lifting above ten pounds."

"Yes, Grandma Williams." Steve rolled his eyes but smiled at him. Frankly cracked ribs were his least favorite injury and while he would never have admitted it to anyone, he didn't mind not having to carry anything. Besides he had two people that were far more important to get into his arms as soon as possible. The island air had never felt so sweet when it hit his face, when he stepped out of the plane. Both Myah and Nahele had moved to the bottom of the stairs and he could see Myah shifting back and forth from foot to foot in anticipation. He saw her expression change a little bit as he got closer and knew she had gotten a good look at the bruising on his face.

"Dad…" she whispered when he stepped off the stairs. "Are you okay?" The concern on her face was evident as was the tension in her arms as she held herself back from him, clearly afraid of hurting him.

"Come here, right now." Deciding cracked ribs be damned, Steve grabbed a teenager in each arm and crushed them against his chest as hard as he could. He generally could not reach the top of Nahele's head due to the boy's height, but with him pressed against him he could, and he didn't hesitate to kiss his son's head. He then dropped a kiss onto the top of Myah's head, pressing his face down into her hair. "I'm sorry guys. I'm sorry." It was later on that Steve pondered exactly what he had been apologizing for. He knew even then that his job would continue to require him to put himself in danger and that there would be risk every time he left the house. He was still in the Naval Reserves and could be called up at any time. And there would without a doubt be more personal missions to take on. But regardless he was sorry. Sorry for any fear or worry he had caused them. Sorry that of all people he was their father and wondering if perhaps they wished for a dad with a safer job. He was pretty sure he could feel the pounding of all three of their hearts.

"I love you, daddy." Myah's voice broke though to him. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Me too, kid. Me too."

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Myah carefully pushed the lawn mower into the shed and closed the door with a sigh. She was hot and sweaty. She had finished her final babysitting class that morning and had passed her CPR certification with no issues and had been happy to text Mary that she was ready to try out her babysitting skills whenever Mary needed. Mary had responded with "How about every Thursday and Friday night?" and Myah wasn't entirely sure if it was a joke. It felt strange that Mary didn't know that her brother could very easily have been killed halfway around the world just a couple days before, but Steve said she was used to him going on military missions and he may or may not tell her the next time he saw her in person.

The day before he had slept in and then spent the day doing paperwork, and telling Nahele and Myah pretty specific details about what had gone on. It was more detail than he normally shared regarding his non civilian activities, but he'd said that since they'd had to deal with the worry of him being gone, they deserved to know. Myah had listened seriously as he spoke and while she was enraged to hear of Jenna Kaye's deception, when she heard of her and her fiance's deaths, she couldn't help but tear up. Learning details about Wo Fat was frightening, but Myah decided she would far rather know, than be left unaware.

Steve had not asked for a report on specifics regarding their activities while he was gone, and Myah hadn't brought it up, partially because she had no doubt there were some consequences coming her way and partially because she was not used to seeing him at less than one hundred percent fit and able. When he'd stepped off the plane she'd been taken aback by his bruised face and when she'd seen him standing in the kitchen without a shirt the next day, she was even more startled by purple discolorations all over his abdomen. He didn't complain, but it came as no surprise to see him wince whenever he changed position. She'd asked him how it felt to have broken ribs and he'd hesitated but then finally told her he felt like he was being stabbed every time he had to take a breath, but that this was far from his first time and he'd be fine in a couple of days.

After finishing her class that morning, Myah had pulled out the lawn mower, preparing to mow not only their yard, but two neighbors' yards as well. When they had offered the job to her, she was pleased at the idea of the responsibility, as well as the prospect of earning her own money. Steve had walked outside as she was filling the mower with gas.

"Hey kid, when you finish the yards we need to talk."

"Okay." she said with a sinking feeling. "About…"

"I gave you details about my trip. I need details about your decisions here."

Myah exhaled. "It… uh… it's not my proudest moments. Did Uncle Danny tell you…"

"No. He said he was going to let you do the honors."

"Okay."

Steve noted her sad face and stepped forward to give her a gentle side hug. "It's going to be okay, kid. No matter what, I still love you."

"I know." Myah proceeded to mow, with her thoughts alternating between trying to forget about the pending conversation and trying to decide how best to tell him what had gone on while he was gone. There didn't seem to be any way of spinning things that would put her in a more favorable light and by the time she was done mowing, it was almost a relief to not have to wait anymore. Once in the shower however, her nerves started up again and she went well over the time for the navy shower she had been attempting to perfect. After slipping on some comfy gray joggers and a black tank top, she combed her hair and pulled it up into a high ponytail. Since living on the island, she had taken to wearing shoes as little as possible and so left her feet bare. Deciding there was nothing to do other than to face the inevitable, Myah made her way downstairs and into the living room. Steve had pulled his desk chair into the room and was sitting there. He nodded towards the couch and she obediently took a seat.

"Alright, kid. Start wherever you want."

Myah exhaled. There didn't seem to be any benefit to leaving any of her misdeeds out, as not only could Danny provide details if asked, but she had now experienced what deceiving him felt like and had decided that come what may, it wasn't worth it. Not to mention, knowing he had just been deceived by someone he considered a friend, made her especially want to come clean with him. "Well, I…uh… guess I should start with the night before you left. I was really scared about you leaving… and I know that's no excuse, but I was. And I just kind of got lost in my thoughts sitting outside and didn't realize it was past ten, past bedtime. I was afraid if I came in then, that it'd distract you from your planning. I know you were figuring out weapons and I was afraid maybe you'd miss something and get hurt and it'd be my fault."

Steve didn't say anything, but his eyes were focused closely on her and his expression was tender and a little sad. Myah pressed on. "So I… I climbed the trellis to get upstairs and get into my room without you knowing." She pulled her knees up and tucked her chin down as Steve's expression changed to one of incredulity.

"You climbed the trellis? Myah Joelle McGarrett!" He shook his head, but relaxed, his chin tucked into his hands, with posture forward and elbows on the arm rests of his chair. "Go on, kid."

"Um… so… this next part… if I tell you I made the bad choice to hang out with Lacey, can I leave it at that?"

Steve's eyes widened slightly at this admittance, but he sighed and shook his head, looking resigned.

"Well, she's going through a rough time because her parents might be getting a divorce and she said she needed a friend. Which is honestly the only reason Uncle Danny said yes that I could go to her house. But…um.. Looking back, I should have just said I'd talk to her on the phone or something. But anyway, she got out jello for lunch and I don't know if you know what this is, but apparently there's something called a jello shot…" Myah paused in trepidation when Steve's eyes widened again and he sat straight up, hissing a little in obvious pain at the movement, before folding his arms across his chest.

"So it looks like you're familiar with that… but I promise you with all my heart that I did not know what that was and I definitely did not know there was vodka in the jello. But anyway, we ate a bunch and when her mom found us, she was really mad and sent me home. And called Uncle Danny, of course. And I was definitely drunk. Which on the bright side of things, was not fun and I don't ever want to do that again."

Judging from Steve's expression, he was not in the mood for Pollyanna-like platitudes. He glowered at her, his arms folded across his chest. Myah couldn't even hold his gaze, as she sat on the couch with her knees bent up and tucked up to her chest. There was silence for what seemed like a long moment. Finally Steve spoke. "Are you finished?"

"Yes sir. I'm… I'm sorry."

"I know. I actually have a lot to say, but I think we better get this part out of the way first, or you won't be able to focus." Steve sighed. "Alright kid, go into the kitchen and bring me a wooden spoon."

"A spoon?" Myah's voice trembled. "For what?"

Steve's face was set. "I'm going to paddle you, kid. Now get moving."

His tone was serious and for once, Myah didn't try to delay, quickly jumping up from the couch. She seriously thought she might throw up. Once in the kitchen, she paused, staring at the utensil canister by the stove, her task made difficult by the blur of tears that already clouded her vision.

"Myah. Now." Steve's tone indicated that he was losing patience, and so she just grabbed the spoon closest to her. Stepping back into the living room, she slowly held it out to him. Her hand was trembling and she felt like she'd just signed her own death warrant. Steve took a hold of her arm and to her confusion, guided her to the end of the couch where he pushed her forward over the armrest onto her belly. He'd always leaned her over his knees to administer her spankings, and as much as she hated it, this felt even worse. She felt strange and detached and her butt felt vulnerable and way too prominent of a target. She shifted uncomfortably and then gasped when she felt Steve grasp the waistband of her joggers.

"Wait… please no." she pleaded.

"Keep your hands in front of you." Steve's voice was stern, and Myah could tell he was steeling himself for the task at hand. "I'm sorry, but you're getting spanked with these down." He placed a gentle hand onto the small of her back and then gave a firm tug so that her pants ended up just at her knees. It was a very small relief that he left her underwear in place. Steve's left hand stayed in place pressing down on her back when his hard right hand connected solidly with her right butt cheek and she immediately became aware of how much protection her pants usually provided. Myah yelped when he swatted her left cheek, and then began to alternate between sides. Myah moaned as what felt like fire spread across her bottom and against her better judgment began to try and shift her hips in an attempt to avoid his smacks.

"You know better." Steve said sternly, and he turned his attention to her bare thighs, spanking her legs until she squealed in discomfort. To her horror, her movement was causing her underwear to ride up between her butt cheeks and while she was quickly moving far past any embarrassment, she was acutely aware of the vulnerability of that extra skin.

Steve paused briefly. "Tell me why you're getting this spankin'."

Myah was used to this ritual by now, but she still hated having to reflect and answer while in the middle of getting her butt blistered. "I… I put myself in unnecessary danger climbing the trellis." Steve took advantage of the lower half of her bottom that was now bare to punctuate each word with a resounding smack that had her yelping in pain and her toes curling, even as she desperately tried to stay still. "You. Know. Better. Your. Safety. Comes. First. You. Understand. Me?"

"Yes… sir." Myah managed to hiccup out.

"And…"

"And I hung out with Lacey… and got drunk… when I was supposed to be being good for Uncle Danny." Myah was suddenly aware of Steve picking up the wooden spoon, and she tensed up in trepidation.

"You know how I feel about her. You should feel the same way, considering you've gotten in trouble every single time you've hung out with her. I told you three strikes and she's out. That's not on Danny. That's on you. And if I find out you hung out with her again, I promise I'll whip your bare bottom every night for a week, you understand me?"

"Yes, sir."

The wooden spoon made contact with the bare lower portion of her bottom and Myah heard a loud whack and felt her already swollen butt flesh bounce, before feeling a spread of searing heat and letting out a cry. Steve continued to paddle her, slowly and deliberately, alternating sides and maintaining a steady rhythm of swats that resulted in a whack, a bouncing butt cheek and a terrible sting that had her gasping. When Steve finally set the spoon down, Myah hoped for a brief reprieve, but realized such was not to be, when he gently tucked her underwear up a little higher so that her swollen rump was even more accessible. When he continued spanking her almost completely bare bottom with his hand, she thought he might as well have used a blowtorch.

"You obey and respect Danny, like you would me. Same goes for the rest of the team. Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir." Steve finally halted his barrage to her behind and removing his hand from her back, allowed her to stand up. Myah couldn't stop herself from immediately righting her clothing, but let out a hiss at the feel of the material on her tender skin. She then stood awkwardly, tears still coursing down her cheeks and her hands trembling. She was usually curled up on his lap by this point, but she was unsure why he'd done things so differently this time. Her heart ached for the reconnection, but as usual, she wasn't sure how to initiate it.

"Alright, come here." Steve took her arm again and gently pulled her over to the couch where he sat down stiffly with her next to him. He didn't pull her onto his lap, but wrapped his arms around her so she could lean against his chest. Hearing his heartbeat calmed Myah's own emotions and she focused on the steady rhythm for a minute until her own breathing slowed and the trembling of her hands stopped. "You okay?" he asked softly. "I'm still going to hold you, I just can't the way I normally do if I want these darn ribs to heal."

Myah let out a breath of relief. Of course, it was his ribs and not because of anger that he'd positioned her a little differently. "Yeah," she hiccuped. "I'm really sorry, dad."

Steve shook his head. "What am I going to do with you?" He leaned forward and dropped a kiss onto the top of her head. "First of all, I am sorry too. I regret a lot of things about this trip, but I should have noticed something was off with you the night before I left. And I should have thought about this being the first time I'd done something like this since… since putting our family together. So I am sorry. I… my job involves taking risks. I know this was a job I chose to take on. But that's my burden to carry. I don't want you to worry any more than you already do. Success or failure of anything I do, will never rest on you, you understand me?"

Myah nodded into his chest, feeling a fresh blur of tears pressing into her lashes.

"I'm sorry, Myah." he said again.

"It's okay." she finally answered, finally looking up at him. "I mean… if you think you deserve a spanking too, then I'm sure Uncle Joe…"

"Hey!" Steve protested. "I have five cracked ribs to remind me of my screw up. Is that not enough?"

"I suppose so." She glanced towards the offensive wooden spoon laying on the television stand. "I do not like that wooden spoon though. Or not getting to keep my pants on."

"Well, you're not supposed to like it." Steve said dryly. "And I'm sorry, because I don't want to embarrass you, but no way am I going to paddle you and not be able to keep an eye on your skin to make sure I'm not going too far."

"Oh."

"My goal is for you to feel like you need to avoid sitting for a while, not to turn you purple." He indicated his own face.

"Well, you're very good at it." Myah was unable to keep the impudent note out of her voice.

Steve rolled his eyes and fired back with, "Well, you give me plenty of practice."

"I want to elbow you in the ribs so bad right now."

"Do it and I will have no regrets about grabbing that spoon for round two."

Deciding the sass had gone far enough, Myah shook head and pressed her head into his chest. Steve immediately hugged her back. "Good girl." He said softly.