Michaela caught Alex's eye as she took the stand and gave Alex an intimidating glare. Alex, far from being afraid, gave Michaela an intense glare of her own before Michaela turned her attention to the attorney addressing her.
"Ms. Brightman, please tell us how you came to be in Madam Benson's care." Buchanan said.
"Madam Benson and her squad broke into the warehouse where we lived and arrested my Master, Dave Kloss. They took me to the hospital where I was treated for my injuries and malnutrition. While I was in the hospital, I was given the option to go home with Madam Benson and I accepted it."
"During your stay in Madam Benson's care, were you ever beaten?"
"Yes, multiple times. The first time was over a broken dish that I dropped on the floor."
Olivia felt her blood boil as she heard Michaela lie on the stand, but she kept her face carefully neutral.
"Were you fed properly?"
"Yes."
"You made a report saying that you had seen Madam Benson beat Alexandra on multiple occasions. Can you describe one of these occasions?"
"I don't remember how long I'd been there, but one night Madam Benson dragged Alex out of bed and beat her front and back with the buckle end of a belt and made me watch."
Seeing that Alex was having trouble keeping her composure, Barba discreetly put his hand on Alex's arm. Alex took a deep breath and let it out slowly to calm herself.
"Was your safeword ever violated while you were in Madam Benson's care?"
"Yes. It confused me because she was the one who gave it to me, but then she never listened to it."
"No further questions for this witness." Buchanan sat down and Barba stood up.
"Ms. Brightman, on the occasion that Madam Benson beat you for dropping a dish on the floor, can you describe exactly how you were beaten?"
"On my butt with a curtain rod."
"Nowhere else on your body?"
"No."
"So, you in fact were not beaten. By legal definition you were spanked."
"Same difference."
"Well, as we've already established, by legal definition there is a big difference. Did Madam Benson ever strike you anywhere besides your backside, such as your face or ribs?"
"...no." Michaela finally admitted.
"So you were never beaten by Madam Benson and you lied under oath."
"I had to do it! You don't know what he's like! He has connections in prison, I'm not safe!" Michaela screamed.
Judge Donnelly banged her gavel.
"Young lady, I will have order in my courtroom."
"No further questions for this witness, Your Honor." Barba said.
"We rest, Your Honor." Buchanan said.
"As do we, Your Honor." Barba agreed.
"Very well. We will have a thirty minute recess, and then we will reconvene and I will make my ruling." Judge Donnelly banged her gavel again.
A quiet buzz rang throughout the courtroom as Judge Donnelly disappeared into her chambers to consider the evidence she had been given. Alex turned and caught Olivia's eye in the courtroom. Olivia smiled and winked and mouthed the words 'I love you'. Alex smiled and returned the sentiment. It seemed like the longest thirty minutes in history, and by the time Judge Donnelly returned to the courtroom, Alex was ready to jump out of her skin. Everyone stood when Judge Donnelly entered the room and everyone sat down when she sat.
"Based on witness testimony, as well as physical evidence submitted to me, it is my ruling that Alexandra Cabot was taken from her home without just cause and is to be returned to her Mistress's care immediately. Alexandra, you are free to go home. Court is adjourned." Judge Donnelly banged her gavel one final time.
Alex couldn't contain herself as she let out an undignified squeal of delight and jumped into Olivia's waiting arms and received multiple kisses on her forehead, nose, and lips as Olivia held her close.
"Ma'am, don't let go!" Alex sobbed.
"I'll never let you go again, little one, I promise. I love you so, so much. I love you more than anything." Olivia showered Alex with affection, blinking back tears in her own eyes.
There in the courtroom, Alex dropped to her knees at Olivia's feet and kissed the back of Olivia's right hand in respectful greeting as she had been trained to do. Olivia smiled.
"You heard the judge, baby. Let's go home."
"Yes, Ma'am." Alex agreed eagerly.
When they arrived home, Olivia ordered lunch and Alex was fed by hand kneeling happily at Olivia's feet. After lunch, Alex cleaned the kitchen. Olivia picked Alex up and carried her to the bedroom where Olivia sat on the bed with her back against the headboard and cuddled Alex on her lap in the peaceful silence. Alex happily snuggled into Olivia's arms with no intention of getting up anytime soon. Olivia cuddled Alex for a very long time, then Alex squeaked in surprise when Olivia easily flipped her across her lap, but she did not resist. Alex melted in the familiar position as Olivia pulled her pants and panties down to her knees.
"Who does this beautiful bottom belong to, little one?" Olivia tenderly rubbed Alex's bare bottom.
"It's yours to do with as you please, Ma'am." Alex's bottom muscles relaxed under Olivia's gentle rubbing.
"That's my good girl. Now I'm afraid there's something that needs to be discussed, my love. What is the rule about training during play parties?"
Alex suddenly remembered her testimony during court when she had admitted to being in the rope area working on training during the play party.
"I am not allowed to train at play parties unless you are with me, Ma'am."
"And what is the consequence when my good girl breaks one of her rules?" Olivia was still rubbing Alex's bottom.
"Please spank me on my naughty bare bottom, Ma'am."
"That's a very good idea, I think I will." Olivia raised up her strong right hand and brought it down sharply.
Alex winced at the familiar sting as Olivia fell into a steady, punishing rhythm. The blonde submissive closed her eyes and drank in the loving correction her Mistress was giving her, keeping her bottom muscles obediently relaxed to receive her punishment and lying obediently still across Olivia's lap. Before long, Alex was crying freely as her pale bottom was spanked to a healthy shade of pink and then to a painful shade of deep cherry red. Olivia paused and rested her hand gently on Alex's bottom, listening to Alex cry.
"Do you think you can remember your rules from now on, little one?"
"Yes, Ma'am! I promise!" Alex sobbed.
"That's my good girl. It's all forgiven, my angel." Olivia cooed, caressing Alex's burning bottom.
Olivia raised up her hand again and continued to spank a little bit harder than before, making Alex burst into fresh tears. Alex had been under so much stress for so long, and the blonde submissive needed to be allowed to lie across her Mistress's lap and cry as long and as hard as she wanted to. Alex seemed to sense this change and realize that she was no longer being punished and was now being given a gift. Alex's cherry red bottom flattened under Olivia's palm and then bounced back as if asking for more.
"Who does this beautiful bottom belong to, baby girl?" Olivia asked again as she continued to spank.
"Ouch! It's yours! It's yours to do with as you please, Ma'am!" Alex began to sob.
"That's my good girl. Just relax and cry it all out, little one. I am right here for you. My sweet baby, such a tender bottom."
Finally, Alex was all cried out and just lay limp across Olivia's lap feeling the stinging spanks dancing on her skin, enveloped in a feeling of peace knowing that she was finally home and across her Mistress's lap where she belonged, and knowing that her beloved Mistress was still in tune with even her unspoken needs. Olivia stopped spanking and spent some time gently rubbing Alex's bottom to soothe the pain.
"You can lie here as long as you want, baby girl. Get up when you want to."
Alex laid across Olivia's lap for a long time, finding the familiar position a comforting one as Olivia continued to rub her bottom and reached underneath Alex's t-shirt to gently rub her back. After a while, Alex got up from Olivia's lap and snuggled back into Olivia's arms. Olivia lifted Alex's chin gently and kissed her deeply.
Alex spent most of the rest of the day being quietly cuddled and showered with words of love and gentle praise. When she wasn't in Olivia's arms being cuddled, she was kneeling happily at Olivia's feet waiting patiently to tend to her Mistress's next order.
That night, Alex climbed into bed and happily snuggled into Olivia's arms. The last thing she remembered before she drifted off to sleep was feeling Olivia's gentle hand rubbing her bottom.
The next day, Alex got up early and quietly slipped out of bed, being careful not to disturb her sleeping Mistress. She showered and dressed in a bra and panties before going to the kitchen to make breakfast, eager to return some form of normalcy to her life and resume her normal routine and chores. She went to the stove to start cooking and found a magazine on the counter filled with a seemingly endless variety of collars with a sticky note on the cover of the magazine with a note in Olivia's neat handwriting that said 'pick one'.
Alex set the magazine aside for the moment and focused on making breakfast. When it was ready, she sat down at the table with the magazine and began to browse through it.
"Find anything that catches your fancy?" Olivia smiled lovingly as she walked into the kitchen and found Alex sitting at the table with the magazine.
"Good morning, Ma'am!" Alex smiled happily and dropped to her knees at Olivia's feet and kissed the back of her right hand in greeting.
"Up." Olivia beckoned.
Alex obediently stood to her feet and received a kiss to her forehead, nose, and lips. Olivia sat down in a chair and patted her lap. Alex obediently draped herself across Olivia's lap and laid obediently still while Olivia pulled her panties down and inspected her recently spanked bottom. Satisfied with the results of yesterday's spanking, Olivia let Alex stand up and pulled Alex's panties back into their proper place. Alex walked over to the stove and returned with two plates containing their breakfast, putting them down on the table and returning to the counter to retrieve two cups of coffee. With all of that accomplished, Alex knelt down at Olivia's feet. Olivia set the magazine aside and picked up one of the plates.
"When you find one you like, let me know and I'll book a trip to Mexico for a collaring ceremony like the one we had before." Olivia said.
"Yes, Ma'am." Alex beamed and obediently opened her mouth to receive a bite of food.
"Okay, little one. Time to get dressed for the day. Dark jeans and a pink shirt. You don't have to put shoes on right now, but put white socks on to keep your feet warm. No makeup." Olivia instructed after Alex had cleaned the kitchen after breakfast.
"Yes, Ma'am." Alex replied obediently, and disappeared down the hall to get dressed as instructed.
After she was dressed, Alex was again happily kneeling at Olivia's feet awaiting her next order as she carefully massaged Olivia's feet while Olivia finished her coffee and read the newspaper. Olivia was off of work for one more week to make certain that Alex was properly settled back in her routine, and she was grateful she didn't have to get up early and rush out the door to defend the streets of New York and could spend the week showering her beloved submissive with attention and affection.