"It was an accident," Ainsley tried.
"One that COULD have been prevented if your brother wasn't so hard headed and un-focused of his surroundings."
"I don't get it," said Jago, "how?"
"I tried to stop you but your elbow connected with my nose first."
"I'm so so so so sorry. I would never hurt you on purpose."
"I know, honest, I'm not mad at you."
"Well, that makes ONE of us," said Steve sternly, "Baby girl, get up front. Jago, back seat, now," he said as he opened the back door."
"Dad, I'm sorry."
"You got in a fight with a guy over surfing. A guy you are competing with. You let him get in your head. On top of that your sister gets really hurt. OH, and let's not forget this is just days before your mother's wedding. She will just LOVE having wedding photos with two of her children with big black eyes. Trust me you think you are sorry now? Ohh just wait until we get home."
FIRST TIME
The drive home was quiet until a phone rang, Ainsley answered."
"Hi mom."
"Hi baby, your father sent me a text, are you okay? Is your brother okay?"
"Mmmm I'll be okay once I get some Motrin, a fresh ice pack on my nose and a long rest in the hot tub; and I can't speak for Jago but, if his future has anything to do with the look on daddy's face I'm thinking that is a big no on the okay."
Steve gave his daughter a side glance then a quick look over then back on the road.
"Kitten, don't tell your mom that, I don't want her thinking I'm going to kill the boy," he said with a serious tone then smirked and gave his little girl a wink.
Jago couldn't help but squirm in the backseat. Up to this point he had only been spanked by his mother. Danny had punished him once but he only grounded him for a weekend for mouthing off. It was two days of no surfing. Jago was close several times to go to Danny and beg for a spanking simply so he could go surfing. Surfing was his life. He never felt more free than he did when he was out on the ocean.
"Earth to Jago, hello Jago," sang song Ainsley.
He shook his head slightly then looked at his sister holding a phone in front of him.
"Umm oh, yeah, sorry, what?"
"Mom wants to talk to you."
His eyes grew wide and he gave his sister a pleading look to somehow make an excuse so he wouldn't have to take the phone. She widened her eyes right back at him and shook it sharply to grab it. He still tried to refuse until Steve caught the action in the rearview mirror.
"Take the phone young man, now," Steve said sternly.
Jago gave a small pout but obeyed.
"Hi mommy," he said with hope of finding his mother's soft side.
"Don't mommy me little boy. I am furious with you right now. I can't believe you got in a fight over surfing. I'm very tempted to add a punishment of my own to whatever your father does."
"Moooooomm, come on please I'm sorry. Honest, I feel bad enough that LeeLee got hurt."
"The fact that she got hurt is why I think you should be in extra trouble."
Steve pulled into his kid's driveway. He had been given the house key months prior. Jago stayed put as Ainsley and Steve got out of the black SUV. The back door opened.
"Jago, let's go. Out," Steve ordered.
Jago flipped the bottom part of the cell phone up slightly.
"I'm talking to my mom."
"I know you are. You can walk and talk, move it, now."
Jago sighed but did as he was told. Inside, Steve let Jago continue to talk with Amanda as he attended to his daughter.
"Do you want to change into your swim suit for the hot tub while I fix an ice bag for you?"
"Yeah, that would be great, thanks."
"Okay kitten, but before you go up let's get you that Motrin as it'll take some time to kick in," he said as he opened the bottle and handed two pills over to her with a bottle of water.
"Thanks daddy."
"Of course baby," he answered and kissed the top of her head.
She walked up to her room to change as Steve prepared two ice bags and was mentally preparing himself to deal with his son for the first time. Jago walked in and handed the phone over, "my mom wants to talk to you."
Steve took the phone and pointed to the two Motrin and water bottle for Jago to take. The young boy gave him a small smile to show thanks and gladly took the medicine to help with the sting of his cuts and bruises.
"Hi Mandy."
"Hey Steve, so have you decided if you are going to spank him or just ground him?"
Steve looked over at Jago, "one second Mandy." He covered the phone and looked directly at his son with a no nonsense look. "Go stand in a corner up in your room and wait for me."
He sadly batted his big blue eyes at him, "can I at least have an ice bag? Please sir."
Between the look and his small tone, Steve's heart strings were tugged. He handed an ice bag over to him.
"Now go, not another word, I mean it."
Jago took the ice with much appreciation and did as he was told. Steve stayed pretty quiet until he heard the sound of Jago's bedroom door close.
"Mandy, I don't know if I can do this. He…just now…ugh…I just about melted when all he did was bat his eyes at me and ask for an ice bag. How in the hell am I supposed to…."
Before he finished his sentence, Ainsley appeared in her ruffled modest bikini. She took the other prepared ice bag and carefully placed it on her nose. Steve's heart strings were now jabbing him painfully.
"Baby girl, do you need anything else before I deal with you brother?"
"No, but please daddy, don't be too hard on him. I know he feels super bad."
"Alright baby, your statement is noted. Go relax, I'll check on you later."
Ainsley left out to the back deck that overlooked the beach and ocean. One couldn't get much better than that to find a place to relax.
"Okay, seeing our little girl just helped me get back to being very upset with Jago. I just have to keep that image in my head and not fall into those big blue eyes of his. I don't get it. I'm a damn commander of five 0. A former Navy seal. Why is this so hard?"
"They are your children. It's just different, but, I know you can do it. Look at Ainsley for a good several minutes before you go up to see our naughty boy. That will help."
Steve thanked Mandy for her support and hung up. He watched his daughter out the front bay window. He was about to go up and deal with his son when his work phone rang.
"Steve McGarret speaking."
After he listened to what the case was Steve hung up and called down his son.
"Jago, get down here, quickly, front and center."
Within seconds Jago was downstairs and standing in front of his father.
"A case just opened up I need to go. I'll be back after though so I do NOT want you leaving this house for anything. Am I understood?"
"Yes but dad.."
"You keep your sister as comfortable as she needs and you help her however she needs it."
"Okay dad, I will but.."
Steve started to walk to the front door.
"Dad, STOP, please…listen."
Steve stopped promptly and looked over at his son.
"Do you really really have to leave now? You can't wait like ten minutes?"
"Ten minutes, why?"
"You know. To do what you planned on doing."
"But Jago, I don't want to just do that and run. Especially since you and I have never been down that road together before."
"Plllleeeeeeeeaase dad, please. I PROMISE I don't need a ton of hugs and kisses after. I just will go totally crazy waiting for you to come back. Every car I hear I'll think it's you and I'll just go nuts."
"Are you truly pleading with me to spank you now instead of putting it off?"
"Dad, TRUST me, waiting is WAY worse."
"Then maybe I should make you wait. Have that be part of your added punishment."
Jago looked at him somberly but said nothing. Steve couldn't believe the powers this boy had. It was certainly unfair as far as Steve was concerned.
"Alright, fine, we will get it over with. Go and get your mothers hair brush."
"Hair brush? Dad, you're built like Captain America, you really don't need any help."
"Jago, I'm not going to argue with you. Get the brush or you can wait until I get back."
With those words Jago did not hesitate further and he ran up to Danny and his mother's master bathroom. He retrieved the awful wooden hairbrush and quickly made his way back down to his father.
"Here sir."
Steve took the brush and walked over to the couch.
"Okay son, front and center, quickly."
Jago obeyed.
"You realize why you are in big trouble right?"
"Yes sir. I got in a fight over something stupid. Got my face bruised up before mom's wedding and worst I ended up really hurting LeeLee."
"Alright, good. Jeans down and over my lap."
Jago hesitated only for a moment after he glanced over at his father's bulging biceps. He pulled down his jeans and put himself over his father's lap. Steve didn't have much time and Jago begged to get it over with so the warm up would have to forgo. Steve pulled down Jago's burgundy colored boxer-briefs to the middle of his thighs. He held him in place securely and began right away with using the brush. Jago jumped and grabbed onto Steve's pant leg right away. His mother always started with a warm-up. Steve didn't put a lot of strength at first but after he hit 30 he began to pick up speed and a firmer hand. Jago kicked his legs a bit, squirmed and was crying a good solid cry.
"I'm so sorry dad. I'll be good. I won't fight dumb fights. Please stop."
Steve continued until he reached about fifty. Jago sobbed over his father's lap. Unable to say much of anything. Steve stopped and put the brush down. He pulled up his son's briefs and patted his butt just to let him know it was over and he could get up. Jago did just that. He got up but immediately yet carefully sat down on his father's lap and cried on his shoulder. Steve held him until he calmed down. It took a good several minutes.
"I'm..I'm sorry dad; I know you need to go. I'm okay now."
"I can be here a few more minutes' son, it's okay."
It was silent for a couple of minutes as Steve simply held his son close before he spoke.
"You know I love you very much right?
"Yeah, I know. I love you too."
Steve kissed the top of his head and gave him one last firm but gentle hug.
"Alright son, you are forgiven by me. I'm pretty certain things are okay with you and your mom and Danny; but, I can't promise anything. Your mother was very upset by your actions and how badly your sister got hurt."
"I know sir and I don't blame them."
"Well, good luck son. Right now I need to head out. Why don't you get your ice pack, re-fill it with ice and rest down here on the couch? You know, be in earshot in case LeeLee needs anything."
"Okay dad, I will."
Steve kissed Jago's forehead. "I love you very very much, don't ever forget that."
"I won't dad, promise," Jago said with a bashful smile.
5-0
Danny looked at his watch when he saw Steve pull up to the crime scene. Once he stood next to him Danny noticed there was something different about Steve. He seemed a bit shaken up.
"You're thirty minutes later than I expected, you okay?"
"Hum, oh, yeah, I'm fine."
"Why are you late?"
"Oh, I had to deal with Jago first. Did Mandy tell you?"
"Yeah, she did. So why didn't you just wait until later?"
"I couldn't. He pleaded with me to get it over with. Those damn sad-puppy-dog-big-baby-blue eyes of his. They are like kryptonite. I don't know how Mandy does it. She never folds."
"Well, she has had 16 years to build immunity. We have only had a bit over six months."
"Good point."
"And I know what you mean about those eyes. That one weekend I grounded him from surfing, oh man. It was awful. He didn't whine or complain. He just looked so sad. He sat at the window practically the whole time and just watched the waves. I swear I asked Mandy several different times if I could let him off early. She insisted I had to stay firm. It was a very difficult weekend."
Steve smirked, "I bet it was. So, I'm guessing you might feel like I do about Ainsley."
"Oh, you mean as in if she ever does get herself in trouble that requires punishment we are far far away and her mother has no choice but to deal with her alone?"
Steve laughed, "Yes that is EXACTLY it."
Danny chuckled, "God willing Steve, God willing."
(Thank you for your reviews. They mean a lot to me. I put a lot of time and effort in writing. Knowing I made someone happy makes me happy. I won't know though if you don't tell me. )