A/N: Yes, my dear readers. Thereare references to spanking in this chapter. Ifthis upsets you, please tell me and I'd be more than happy to discuss it with you. Well there's your next taste, happy chapter reading!

Chapter 9

Now I'm pouting. I had hoped the temper tantrum would let Mom know that I wanted to go back home… leave New York and never come back. I'm not allowed out of the chair until Mom says I can. It feels like I've been sitting here for hours.

"Mom, can I get up now?" I shout to her in the other room. She's in the lab now, doing something, but I don't know what it is.

"No, you still have 5 minutes on that chair!" she shouts back.

"But I've been sitting here for hours!" I complain. "I wanna get up!"

"You have not… you've been sitting there for about 15 minutes. I told you your punishment was for twenty minutes."

I pout, sticking out my bottom lip.

"You need to apologize to Danny too. That was unfair and extremely rude."

I don't say anything. My bottom lip is still sticking out, like I care what Danny has to do with this. I don't like him, and I never will. He's trying to take Mom from me, and I don't like it. He's mean.

"Did you hear me Madison?" she says as I watch the wall. The wall is more interesting than what Mom has to say.

"Yes," I grunt. That's all she's going to hear from me.

Mac and Stella walked by the little girl sitting in a chair facing the wall. Lindsay, who was keeping a watchful eye on them both, gave them a stare that commanded a "Leave her be until I say so," kind of obedience.

The two detectives went into the lab and asked for the results Lindsay had been looking over. She wasn't doing any case work, because she wasn't an employee, but she enjoyed looking over statements and results, to see if she could spot anything.

"What is she doing in the corner?" Stella pulled Lindsay aside.

"She had a temper tantrum, pushed me into the wall, hit Danny in the chest, and screamed so loudly I'm sure the entire lab heard it. So, she has to sit in the corner as punishment."

"A seven year old?" Mac was astonished she could act that way.

"She's a little kid, Mac. Little kids do that sort of thing." Stella interjected.

"Believe you me; I would have spanked her had I been given the chance." Lindsay answered.

Stella's mouth dropped open.

"Don't look at me like that." Lindsay admonished. "I think spanking a child once in a while is an acceptable move. Not a beating… just a nice firm slap on the behind as a correction for misbehaviour, if it's warranted." Lindsay handed the file to Stella and walked to Madison sitting on the chair. "Madison, you can get up now."

Mom said I can get up? Yay! I shoot up out of my makeshift "prison" and immediately see Mom holding out her hand.

"I have togo say I'm sorry, don't I?" I ask quietly.

"Yes you do," she tells me, "you know better than to throw a temper tantrum, Maddie. That's unacceptable."

"I know," I answer, my words coming out like squeaks.

We walk down the hall to a place where there's a mirror. Danny's standing in front of it, watching another man talk to a bad guy. I heard him walk in while I was in time-out. I don't know who the other guy is, but Danny is watching on one side, and the guy is on the other.

"Danny?" I tug at his pocket on his pants. Maybe there's candy in that pocket.

He bends down and looks at me. "Yes, Maddie?"

I'm…" I look back at Mom, who's watching me. She looks at me like she's saying "Go on."

"I'm sorry."