A/N 1: I forgot to specify before that there are NO slash pairings in this story. I hope that doesn't disappoint anybody too badly.

A/N 2: I swear there will be more dialogue after a couple more chapters. This one is mostly inside Danny's head and sets up some history between uncle and nephew.

~H50~

Chapter 2

Texting with Steve that evening was helping Danny metaphorically step away from the frustration that had been simmering all day. Although Eric's commentary had included some helpful ideas during their investigation, the attitude that had come along with it had continued to grate on Danny's nerves. Danny was emotionally drained from both the yelling in the office that morning and the direct-and-painfully-honest conversation in the car from only a few hours ago. Knowing that Steve's opinions were unbiased from any previous perceptions of the kid, it was nice for Danny to hear that he wasn't alone in his observations of his nephew.

Danny had caught the micro-expressions that Eric had been unable to hide throughout the day. He had felt his heart clench a little when he had seen Eric's reactions to Danny yelling at him in the office and again in the car. When Eric looked so proud after Steve's praise at the university that afternoon, it had suddenly clicked for Danny one of the reasons Eric had been acting out so much.

Eric's father had been out of the picture for a long time now, and would not have been a good influence even if he was still around. Matty was still on the run (but had been more of an instigating-older-brother figure to Eric when they were together), and Danny had been almost half a world away for the last three years. Eric didn't have a male authority figure in his life to keep him in check or to shape his future into something productive and good. And while Eddie had straightened out Danny when he had been on a bad path, Danny's father had respected both Clara and Stella's wishes to not be heavy-handed in the reprimands toward Eric.

After he finished texting with Steve, Danny's mind drifted back to three and a half years ago, to a few months before he followed Grace to Hawaii. It had been the last time that he and Eric had spent any time together before Rachel moved across the country with his beloved daughter. That last time Danny had been with him, Eric had just been stopped by a beat cop right before committing an act of vandalism with a couple of his friends.

Danny had received a phone call one Saturday night from a friend on the force who knew Eric was Danny's nephew. The officer had seen the teens lurking near an abandoned warehouse, and when he confronted the group it was apparent that they had been prepared to vandalize the building. As they had only been caught loitering past curfew and had not yet damaged or defaced anything, the officer had called Danny to meet with them before any further action was taken.

Danny, being the responsible adult and police officer that he was, decided he wanted to take action and try to curb any repeat of the behavior that may want to pop up in the future. As he pulled up to the warehouse where the officer and teens were waiting, Danny warred with himself between acting as an officer of the law versus taking steps as a concerned family member for a wayward teen. Danny tried to keep his temper in check as he roughly shoved Eric into his car and drove them both to Stella's house.

Danny remembered that Stella was in Manhattan for the evening for a work-related event, so he let himself and Eric into the house with his own spare key. Once they were in Stella's family room, Danny sat Eric down roughly and took a deep breath. Trying to remain calm, Danny couldn't hold back the flood of words that came out as he paced in front of the 15 year old. Words came, about how Eric needed to think about the legal and life consequences that his actions tonight could have caused. Words came about how Eric was old enough to know that what he was planning was a crime, and crimes committed at any age could affect his life in big ways. Words came about how he was raised to be respectful of both people and property. Words about how his actions could reflect badly for his mother—and what would Stella think?

As Eric sat sullenly in his seat, Danny decided to handle the current situation as he had done for smaller infractions throughout Eric's life. Previously Danny had only really reprimanded Eric for his attitude toward the adults in both the family and the community, or for smaller actions and unruly behavior he had witnessed.

As Danny continued to talk and pace in front of his nephew, he could see when Eric realized that Danny meant to take him over his knee and spank him. The last time it had happened had been over two years before, prior to Eric hitting his growth spurt. Now Eric was just about even in height with Danny, and tried to bring that up as a point to get out of the punishment Danny started to lay out. Danny held firm and informed Eric that while there was no longer a height difference, there was still plenty of room over Danny's lap.

Having made his decision, Danny took a seat on the couch and told Eric to come to him for his punishment. When Eric didn't move right away, Danny hardened his voice and told Eric not to delay any longer if he knew what was good for him.

Eric had reluctantly moved to stand directly next to where Danny was located on the couch, but he couldn't make that final move to lay out over Danny's lap. With Eric hesitating, but still next to him, Danny took that as the consent and contrition he was hoping to see. Eric knew he had done something wrong in a big way, and was accepting the punishment that Danny would give him.

Danny made a swift grab at Eric's hand and smoothly guided him into position. Eric squirmed and tried to slide off, but Danny quickly moved Eric's left hand snugly between Danny's stomach and Eric's side while also reaching across his back to pull up Eric's right hand and anchor it to the outside hip. With losing the leverage he had with his hands, combined with Danny firmly gripping across his back, Eric's movement was cut down significantly and he gave up trying to escape. Eric wasn't relaxed in the position he was in, but he had realized that he couldn't slip away from Danny and would be forced to endure the humiliation of receiving a punishment that he had only associated with little kids.

Stella hadn't been too happy the first couple times Danny had given Eric spankings when he was younger. Eddie and Clara hadn't given physical punishment like that when Danny and his siblings had been young, and Stella didn't know all of the details about how their Pop had helped Danny straighten up his life. But Danny and Stella had a long conversation the first time Danny had thought Eric needed a proper spanking for a punishment, and they had come to an agreement that Eric could benefit greatly from a little corporal punishment. Stella's only stipulation was that it didn't go beyond spanking, and that Danny only used his hand.

So there Eric was, laying trapped over Danny's knees. Danny wasn't going to go light and easy on the kid this time. It wasn't a little attitude or some rowdy behavior that he was trying to fix. That night had come just shy of Eric getting arrested for vandalism. And while it would have only been on a juvenile record, it would still be the start of a path that would be hard to reverse. So instead of starting in right away with swats like he had done before, Danny just held Eric for a few moments longer while he truly thought about how he wanted this reprimand to play out.

Danny transferred his right hand to hold Eric's arm, and rested his now-free left hand between Eric's shoulder blades. Danny realized that Eric's breathing had become a little heavier as he had been pinned by Danny, and it seemed that the feel of Danny's hand moving over his back was helping to soothe the near-panic. Finally Danny said to Eric, "You are better than a juvenile record, and I will not sit by quietly and watch you start down the path of throwing your life away."

With that statement hanging in the air, Danny transferred his hands again to free up his right hand, then quickly landed six fast blows to Eric's ass. As Eric had still been wearing his baggy jeans, his yelp was more out of surprise than actual pain. After pausing for a moment at Eric's reaction, Danny started up again with a steady rhythm as he began speaking over the noise. Danny started talking back over all the points he had brought up earlier in the evening, emphasizing each point that he made with a specific smack.

Danny stopped to give himself a moment to collect his thoughts again, and he could tell that Eric slumped a little in the relief of thinking his punishment was over. When Danny failed to let him go, Eric tensed up again and let out an unsure "Uncle D? Are you gonna let me up?"

Sitting in his bedroom in Hawaii, even all those years later, Danny could still clearly remember the next part of the evening. After Eric's plaintive question, Danny let his resolve harden. "Oh ho, no. We are nowhere near done. This isn't just some little attitude you were throwing around, or disrespectful behavior at the supermarket. This was serious, and this is a lesson that is going to last a little longer."

Eric had tensed at Danny's words, while Danny gave a good yank at the jeans that had been loosely hanging from Eric's slender waist earlier that night. Danny had a fleeting thought that he was glad for once that Eric didn't listen to Stella's constant requests to wear a belt with his loose pants. But then a belt would have only made the pants-removal a little awkward, and would have actually been a deterrent for what Danny intended to do. Eric's boxers had slid down with the jeans and he was now laying bare-assed with a red blush creeping across the back of his neck, still anchored tightly by Danny's left hand across his body.

With his pants bunched just above his knees, Eric renewed his efforts to squirm out of Danny's grip. Danny held tight though, and leaned in close to Eric's ear. "Eric, I care about you very much. Your whole family loves you and wants you to be the best person you can be." With that low statement, Danny brought down his first blow to Eric's newly-bared bottom. Without the buffer of the denim and boxers, Danny's first smack had made Eric shriek. Danny brought down his hand three more times before pausing and addressing Eric's growing distress. Leaning in again to speak softly, Danny soothed Eric with a litany of "Shhh, you're okay. You'll get through this."

Faster than he was sure Eric had hoped, Danny resumed the spanking, along with recapping the behavior that was expected of him and how disappointed Danny was that Eric had considered the activities he and his friends had planned for the night. As Danny spoke of his disappointment, he could hear Eric's breath start to hitch. Danny knew he had always been the family member that Eric bonded to the most—even more than the "fun" Uncle Matty. As he had hoped, the sharp words of disapproval along with the sting of his hand were finally having an impact on the kid in his lap. Danny heard a little wetness in Eric's breathing and knew his nephew was letting down his guard and allowing some tears fall.

With the knowledge that Eric was lowering his defenses, Danny decided it was time to switch up his tactics. Danny had gotten through Eric's tough exterior, and now had to make sure the lesson would stick—at least for a little while. The straight-up lecturing part of this session was done and now it was time for some follow-up. "Eric, I want you to tell me why I'm giving you this punishment tonight."

After Danny had run through all of the questions he wanted Eric to answer about the evening and was satisfied that Eric had been truthful, Danny finished off the spanking with eight hard swats targeted to the tender flesh across the back of Eric's thighs. When he was done, Danny rested his stinging hand across Eric's lower back, giving them both a moment to catch their breath.

Danny carefully released the hold he had across Eric's body, and gently maneuvered the shaking teen so they were both standing. In a moment of panic over his current appearance, Eric had tried to take a giant step away from Danny—forgetting that his jeans were now bunched around his ankles and causing himself to start pitching wildly backwards. Danny made a swift grab for Eric's shoulders and reeled him into a snug bear-hug. Eric had tensed for a tiny moment but then melted into the solid form that was holding him, seeking as much comfort as he could from his uncle's embrace.

When Eric had been younger, he had never shied away from affection or hugs from Danny. The whole family was generally an outgoing and tactile group. As Eric had gone through his early teenage years though, he had started to back away from anything emotional or affectionate in his daily life. None of the recent animosity toward "feelings" seemed to matter now, as apparently getting walloped at the age of 15 by a stern relative could completely crush any opposition against receiving comfort. Once he was surrounded by the tight hug, Eric buried his face into his uncle's shoulder and grasped around Danny's back like his life depended on it.

After a short while, Eric finally started to pull away and Danny let him reach down to drag up the pants that were still around his ankles. "It's late Eric, and you are going to be a little sore for awhile. Why don't you just stick with wearing the boxers and carry the jeans to your room with you. Now go get ready for bed."

Eric pulled up his boxers with a hiss as the fabric rubbed over his tender flesh, and kicked off his jeans. He started to leave the room, but hovered in the doorway. Danny saw Eric's hesitation and it only took him a moment to guess what was on Eric's mind and give a response. "Don't worry, buddy. I'll be crashing in the guest room tonight, and we can talk some more in the morning." Seeing a quick flash of horror in Eric's eyes, Danny continued, "And I'll only give your Ma the bullet points of what all went on tonight."

Eric let out a groan at Danny's proclamation. Danny met him at the door, placed a hand on the back of Eric's neck and started guiding him through the house. "I'm not keeping what you did tonight from your mother, she has a right to know when you screw up and put yourself at risk. But I won't tell her every detail of our conversation from when I was disciplining you. She's going to know that we talked, and that you've been reprimanded for your actions. You can tell her what we talked about if you want to, but we can also keep that between us. It'll be up to Stella if she's going to add more punishment. Just remember that any punishments you receive are because you are loved, and we want to help you become a responsible and respectful young man."

Danny and Eric finally reached Eric's bedroom, and Danny gave a final squeeze to the back of Eric's neck before giving him a gentle nudge into the room. Eric started to close the door behind him, and as Danny turned to walk back down the hall he heard a very quiet "Thanks Uncle D."

Danny sat up waiting in Stella's kitchen until she came home from her trip to Manhattan after 11:30. Stella's surprise at seeing Danny waiting in her house at the late hour had quickly turned to fear, when Eric was supposed to be at his best friend's house and Danny knew she would be in the city all evening. Danny was fast to reassure her that everyone was okay and Stella fell into a chair momentarily relieved.

Danny started his part of the conversation by confirming that Eric was currently safe and asleep in his room. He wasn't sure how to gently reveal the events of the night he'd had with Eric, and decided to just jump in and lay out all the facts. Stella's couldn't seem to settle on a single emotion and her face reflected how fast her mind was racing. Danny's sister had never been a fan of corporal punishment, but had allowed Danny to use his best judgment in dealing with Eric in the past.

After hearing Danny's explanation of events, Stella could agree that in this case a lecture combined with a spanking was one of the better alternatives of the possible consequences, and she made sure Danny knew she supported his choice of punishment. Both Stella and Danny could only hope that Danny's approach might actually help keep Eric from repeating this particular offense, and hopefully other delinquent actions as well. As both siblings had already endured long evenings, they didn't draw out their conversation much longer and quickly made their way to their respective beds to salvage what sleep they could.

~H50~

It was crazy what details the brain would hang on to, and with the memory of that night at Stella's fresh in his mind, Danny became more sure of his next actions for Eric's current visit. While Eric was technically 18 and therefore a legal adult, the kid was still in his Senior year of high school and still living with his mother. The Williams clan had always emphasized the family bond, and Danny knew that Stella and the rest of the family could still have a little influence over Eric during this stage of his life. It had caused almost a physical pain hearing Eric's flippant remarks earlier in the day about planning to skip college. Maybe Eric just needed a little nudge in the right direction. Okay, maybe he needed a big nudge.

A few months ago Danny had managed to get the formal charges dropped for Eric's involvement in the stolen car, as luckily Eric had still been 17 at the time. After the charges were dropped though, no other punishment had been handed down to Eric for his actions. The growing number of situations where Eric was acting out in recent months, combined with the behavioral reactions Danny had seen since picking Eric up from the airport, was leading Danny to think Eric needed some tough love handed down again. And this time Danny would make sure to follow it up by checking in with Eric more often after his nephew returned home.

Steve's idea of a Boot Camp, or even just exercise, didn't seem too bad either. Maybe a combination of some cardio with Steve and a good spanking over the weekend would be the start he needed to get Eric into a place where he could re-evaluate the direction of his life. It could be a show of support to the kid, letting Eric know that Danny (and Steve) would be there for him; to help Eric figure out big decisions, and to call him out when he does something stupid. It would also help build up a support-structure for Eric with Danny's Ohana, to have Steve get involved and provide another male role model that Eric could count on. Thank God it was Friday, and Five-0 didn't have a new case for the weekend yet. A work-free weekend sounded like just the thing they needed.

Danny's thoughts were finally settling after both the messaging with Steve and the whirlwind of memories from that night so long ago. Comfortable in the plan he settled on to break through Eric's attitude and bluster, Danny was able to drift to sleep with the knowledge that he could still take care of his family – even while he was usually almost 5000 miles away.

~H50~

To be continued...

More Notes: I know this chapter felt like it skipped around a lot with the timelines, but it seemed to fit with the way Danny was currently recalling the past events.

Never fear! The plot kicks up a bit in the next chapter, and there will be actual spanking of 18-year-old Eric further along in the story. I'm going to be spacing out future updates a little more, but wanted to get some of the promised punishment out there for the weekend. Hope you liked it!