"You two want to embarrass the Reagan name. Well I've got a solution for that." Frank stated as he took in both his boys' faces. Danny's registered a familiar understanding of what was to come while Jamie's shown pure shock.
"Jamie, you have not ever been paddled." Frank picked up the dreaded implement. It was true that Jamie had never felt the paddle before as this was the only one Frank owned and it lived in the bottom drawer of the filing cabinet.
Danny, on the other hand, had been on the receiving end of this particular paddle a few previous times. Twice since starting on the police force and one occurred in this office. He had a healthy fear knowing personally how much pain and discomfort he was about to be in. Jamie, unfortunately, was about to experience it for the first time.
However, Jamie was not naive of the pain brought from corporal punishment. The Reagan household was traditional in every sense of the word and all of the kids had been sent to bed or to the corner nursing a sore backside. But only Danny and Joe had ever felt the paddle before now. Jamie's punishments normally consisted of Mary's wooden backed hairbrush or at worse the old leather belt kept on the mantle of the fireplace.
Frank reserved the paddle for serious transgressions. Ones only Danny seemed to find himself in and one memorable cause for the paddle to be used on Joe's backside. Frank shook the memory of Joe's cries the night Mary had told him to bring the paddle home with him from the office.
"No sir." Jamie found his voice for a moment.
"Boys, this behavior is unacceptable as men of the badge." He paused. "And more importantly as Reagan men." He rose from his chair and moved a few items on the desk clearing a path wide enough for an errant body to lay across.
"Daniel, you first." Danny's stomach dropped to his toes, but he nodded and rose to his feet. The few steps around the desk seemed like a mile.
Jamie watched his big brother. The strong, stubborn man who he always looked up to made his way to their father with a sort of resigned face. Danny was determined that though the last time he took the paddle the dam broke causing him to cry and beg for mercy, he wouldn't do that this time with his kid brother watching.
"Both of you are the cause for the other's punishment. I want you to think on that as I handle this." Frank stated picking up the paddle. "Over the top, Danny." He directed.
Danny stretched out over the solid desk. Though not ornately designed like the one in the main office, this desk had history with it as well. His dress pants and suit jacket stretched tight as he bent. Folding his arms under him, his fist clenched in preparation.
Frank's heart was heavy with guilt as he watched his oldest get into position. He hadn't been forced to dole out this type of punishment in quite a while with Danny. An impressive feat for the young man. And a sign of growth and maturity. But today's actions required redirection.
He folded the top of Danny's suit coat up and out of the way. The slight touch caused Danny to quiver. A piece of Frank's heart broke knowing his boy feared his touch. Placing his free hand on the lowest part of Danny's back, he steeled himself for the next half hour. It would torture him to hear the cries from his sons.
"Unacceptable behavior." He stated again to which Danny nodded into his arms.
The first splat of the paddle echoed off the walls of the room. A sharp intake of breath was all that could be heard from the folded arms of Danny. Thankfully covered from any viewing, Danny's eyes bulged at the impact of fire flaming across his backside. Frank lined up again and landed an equally hard swat just lower than the first. Danny bite his lip keeping silent.
Three more swats landed with precision. The last one clipping just south of Danny's rear right at the point where his thighs met his butt. That one caused a very quiet "ow" to escape and tears to silently streak down his face. Frank set the paddle down on the desk and lowered himself to Danny's side.
With a hand resting on the back of Danny's neck, he spoke quietly. "We're not done, but I'm going to give you a rest." He informed his son. Danny nodded before wiping at his face trying to hide any evidence of pain as he stood.
He looked at the stark white face of his little brother and knew Jamie wouldn't make it through his swats silently. His heart broke.
"Go have a seat." Frank instructed causing Danny to give him an incredulous look which Frank ignored. "Jamie, come here."
The two brothers were forced to maneuver around each other in order to obey their father. Frank didn't miss the moment where Danny's hand landed on Jamie's forearm and gave a squeeze of strength to his baby brother.
As Jamie came around to his side of the desk, Danny gently lowered himself to the old wooden chair. There'd be no comfort offered there. Jamie made his way to his father and was pointed over the desk. Since changing back into his street cloths, Jamie was thankful for a little added protection of his denim jeans.
His dad came behind him and pulled a belt loop up causing the material to hug his backside and tighten uncomfortably. The large hand firmly placed on the small of his back was there to both offer comfort and strength. "I'm disappointed Jamie." His father's words landed heavily on his conscious.
So did the paddle. As its first strike, Jamie wasn't ready for the pain that just engulfed him. Unlike Danny who knew what to expect, Jamie's nerve endings were lit ablaze as the wood made contact over the presented area. "Ow!" He whimpered into his folded arms. Tears already slipping down. Internally he cursed himself as he had great hopes of being tough while in the presence of Danny.
But he hadn't been ready for the pain of the paddle in his father's hands brought. Another swats landed but Jamie was able to blow out the pain rather than cry out. The third one landed lower and he whimpered. Frank watched the chest of his youngest erratically raise and lower in his attempts to not cry out. He paused and lowered himself just as he did before with Danny. His hand running circles over Jamie's back.
"You can cry, Jameson. There's no shame and no one will hear outside this room." He reassured the boy.
Jamie shook his head. He would not. His older brother was in the room and he already thought he wasn't man enough to wear the uniform. No way would he give Danny the satisfaction of seeing him bawl like a small child.
At least that was his attempt. Frank shook his head softly and lined up the paddle for its fourth wallop. The pain caused Jamie's back to arch high but Frank pushed him back towards the desk. Danny readied himself for the next swat knowing where it'd land. He fought the urge to reach out to Jamie, but instead closed his eyes as he saw the paddle raise in the air.
Fire erupted at the top of Jamie's thighs. He hollered out, "Ow!" He sobbed as his hands reached back to rub the fire out of his butt and thighs. Frank couldn't help the sad sight, and his heart shattered as he just wanted to comfort Jamie in that moment. But he knew he couldn't until it was all done or he'd never finish what he came to do.
He gave Jamie a moment to cry and then reached for the young man's arm. "You take a break while I finish up with your brother. Go have a seat."
Jamie sniffled sadly as he headed back to his seat still holding onto his burning backside. The look of sorrow that filled Danny's face was dreadful. He waited for Jamie to sit with a whimper before getting up and returning to his dad. As he passed, he put his hand on Jamie's shoulder and gave it a small squeeze.
His father waited for him with paddle resting on his shoulder. "Drop your pants, son."