This is my first fic so apologies in advance for any newbie mistakes. Reviews would be very much appreciated.

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. This fic is about characters from the TV show The Lying Game, not the books, and features spanking, including parental spanking of a teenager. If that's not your thing, please move right along.

Chapter 8

Sutton had been sitting in her room for almost an hour, flicking through a glossy magazine and wondering when Ted would bother coming to deal with her – whatever that meant anyway. She had briefly recalled his conversation with Alec but, somehow, she didn't actually expect him to take that particular piece of advice.

But she kind of wanted him to. Sutton would have died before she admitted it to anyone, but she had found herself wondering what it would be like if he did. How it would feel. How she would feel afterwards. Because she couldn't help thinking he should have done something about her behaviour ages ago, instead of being such a pathetic pushover.

The knock at the door startled Sutton – she had been deep in thought.

"Do come in, daddy dearest," she said.

"Save it, Sutton," Ted said as he walked into the room and leaned against Sutton's desk. He looked really tired, Sutton thought as she closed her magazine and made a big show of settling down to listen.

"You know, your mom wanted to bring a tray of food up to you – because you didn't finish your dinner, and you might still be hungry. I happen to think we pay a bit too much attention to Sutton Mercer's feelings in this house, while you don't ever stop to consider how other people might feel. If you're hungry, it's your own fault and you'll just have to wait. You chose to behave badly at the dinner table, and you assumed there wouldn't be any consequences."

"That's because there usually aren't any," Sutton couldn't help saying.

"Seriously, Sutton, quit mouthing off."

"I'm not mouthing off!" Sutton exclaimed. "There aren't usually any consequences – I'm just telling it like it is."

Ted sighed. "Well, that's certainly true. Thing is, Sutton, I'm not so sure you're actually happy about that. I'm starting to think you're crying out for some discipline."

He launched into some speech about how she was hurting everyone around her and would just end up hurting herself. Sutton was only half-listening. She'd heard it all before, hadn't she?

"So it's up to you," Ted was saying. "Your mother thinks I should talk to you. I hate to undermine your mom, but I think we're way past the point of talking about it. Your godfather thinks I should let my belt do the talking – in fact, he offered to have a bit of a conversation with you himself. Said I should send you to him and he'd straighten you out. I have to admit I thought about taking him up on it."

What the hell? Sutton gaped at her father. He couldn't be serious.

"Ah, so I've actually got your attention now," Ted said. "Look, Sutton, I'm not going to send you to Alec. I don't think that would be appropriate. But I do think he has a point."

"So, what, you're going to belt me now, are you?" Sutton sounded bolder than she felt. That wasn't going to happen, surely? It was about as likely as Ted telling her he'd decided to dye his hair pink and join a vegan commune.

Ted paused, as if psyching himself up. "No," he said eventually, "I'm not going to belt you. But I am going to use a hairbrush, if that's the choice you make."

Sutton gaped at him. She didn't know what choice he meant, but she couldn't seem to find her voice to ask him.

"Two options, Sutton. You can apologise now, tell me what you did wrong and how you're going to improve in the future, and that will be the end of it – this time."

"And if I don't apologise?" Then you'll beat me, Sutton thought, is that it?

"You heard what I said." Ted pointed to the wooden hairbrush that was sitting on Sutton's dressing table. "So, what's it going to be? Are you going to apologise?"

So he was trying to wuss out even now, Sutton thought. If she said sorry, all would be forgiven. There would be no consequences, as ever. No actual parenting.

"No, I'm not," Sutton said. Then, to Ted's amazement, she walked over to the dresser and handed him the hairbrush.