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Chapter 20

"Mattie you can hang around on the swing while I go talk to Chloe." Harm said.

Chloe trudged behind Harm as he strode out to the barn. "You know all's well that ends well." she tried with a nervous giggle.

"It isn't ended yet Chloe." Harm said with a slight smile that he'd tried unsuccessfully to hide. He reached for her and she jumped out of the way.

"You know I read on the net that it's against the law to spank kids in 32 countries?" she babbled. Harm's arm was longer and he reached her easily.

"Not this one..." he said as he landed a solid smack. He towed her over to a hay bale and sat down, wasting no time in flipping her over his knee.

"Now here's some personal research for you to think on." he said as he brought his hand down hard several times on the seat of her jeans. Chloe was not one to concede easily though.

"Some...ow...more progressive...ow, ow, ow...parents just sus...ouch Harm! Suspend...ow. Privileges." she finally managed to say between yelps.

"I'm progressive." Harm said with another flurry of smacks. "You just lost your computer as well for bein a smart ass."

"Hey! No fair!"

"You wanna lose your jeans?" Harm asked.

"No." Chloe said sucking in a deep breath. "Please Harm...it hurts."

"It's meant to." After a few sharps spanks to the underside of her already sore bottom Chloe gave up and burst into tears.

JAGJAGJAGJAGJAGJAGJAG

Josh plonked himself down on the swing next to Mattie.

"He do this often?" he asked.

"It seems to be the favoured punishment...yeah." Mac was listening from the doorway but neither teen could see her.

"And you just go and let him?"

"Um...I don't think I've actually been given a choice." Mattie said with an embarrassed grin. "I trust Harm."

"Well I don't plan on letting him spank me." he said. Mattie grinned.

"Uhhuh." she said. "You better not plan on getting into trouble then."

"Who plans on getting into trouble?" Josh asked.

"Well...nobody I guess...it just kind of happens to us."

"And on a regular basis it seems." Mac said as she stepped through the squeaky screen door to join them."

"It's not all bad you know Josh." she said.

"What?"

"Giving up control. You get to be a kid again. You get to be fed everyday and go to school, have fun."

"I'm NOT going to go to school." he said. That was one thing he wasn't going to do. He hadn't been to school since he couldn't remember when. He wasn't gonna sit in a class full of kids his age like a dumbass that didn't know nuthin, and he certainly wasn't gonna go in a younger grade. Mac's eyes widened. They were going to have to deal with this later and with Harm, something was going on but she wasn't sure what...but he had to go to school...

JAGJAGJAGJAGJAGJAG

"I'm sorry Harm." Chloe sobbed into his shoulder.

"I know you are...but what you did Chloe was so dangerous. It was thoughtless and just plain mean to worry everyone like that."

"I know...I didn't know how..."

"To get what you want?" Chloe looked down at the straw covered floor..

"Kinda." she said.

"Not kinda...that's exactly what you were doing. It's not the way honey. Now that you're gonna live with us you need to get it...if you want something ask me or Mac. If the answer if yes then good...if it's no...that's the final word. Try and get it anyway and there'll be a problem and you'll find yourself in trouble. Understand?"

"Yeah..." Chloe nodded. "Do you want me to go get Mattie now?" she asked helpfully.

"Yeah." he said as he kissed the top of her head. "NOW it's ended..you're forgiven."

JAGJAGJAGJAGJAGJAGJAG

"Uh oh." Josh said as the barn door opened. "Times up." Mattie got to her feet and dawdled across to the barn. She knew putting it off wouldn't help, but the butterflies in her tummy and the fact that her feet seemed to be wanting to change direction made it hard for her to hurry.

Mattie walked into the barn and Harm was leaning on a post with his arms crossed.

"Hey." she said trying to smile, but the tears were already forming. Not because she was gonna be spanked but because what she'd done was unforgivable.

"Hey."

"You still mad?"

"Nope." Maddie knew she would be forgiven, probably already had been but the fact that Harm wasn't angry with her anymore didn't mean in the slightest that he wasn't going to punish her.

"I felt like I had to keep Chloe's secret Harm. I did...but it was stupid and she could have been hurt or murdered or anything."

"Uhhuh."

"And I let everyone worry when I should have said right away that knew where she was. I should have maybe even told you and Mac what she was thinking..."

"Perfect job of lecturing yourself Mattie. Except for the maybe...you should have told Mac and me what she was thinking. You all need to learn that you don't call the shots."

"I do know that."

"Then ignoring that fact is just pure defiance." Tears rolled down Mattie's face.

"I'm sorry." Harm held out his hand.

"Now you've done such a great job of getting to where you really went wrong, we may as well get on with it." He lead her over to the haystack and sat down again and turned her over his knee. This wasn't easy when she was already crying. Nevertheless he knew he wouldn't be doing her any favours by letting her off. He brought his hand down smartly, surprised that she didn't protest at all. He bit his lip and set to getting it over with as soon as possible. Several sets of rapid fire spanks and he was done. So was Mattie. The silent tears that had escaped like a running fountain, even though she'd kept her eyes squeezed shut, suddenly gushed even faster and she started to sob.

"I'm sorry...I...am...really." Harm had already stopped and pulled her up and into his arms.

"...it's ok Mattie. You made a mistake and you paid for it. It's done. Over." She nodded and as he soothed her, her sobs slowly became hitched breaths until finally they stopped.

"Sorry for being a baby." Mattie said with embarrassment.

"Hey...don't be silly. You're allowed to cry."

"I love you Harm."

"I love you too." he said. "Let's go see what the others are all doin."

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The others were all still on the porch. Good Harm thought. Maybe this was the time to set down the ground rules.

"Just the people I wanted to see." he said with a smile. Josh stood to leave. "Sit down, you too." Josh sat although he wasn't sure what this was about.

"Just wanted to say that I'm real glad that you're all gonna be livin with Mac and me and I bet she is too."

"Sure am." Mac said. An instant family like this and with Harm...was a dream.

"Just so you know...we're a family now." The girls smiled. "No more of this stuff." he said. "No more repeats of what went on that weekend and no more messing around in school and no more running away." Josh's face was blank.

"I already told Mac..." Josh said. "I'm not goin to school." The girls watched with great interest.

"Yes you are Josh." Harm said.

"Um...no I'm not."

"Girls?" Harm said. "You can go inside and pack." Mac sat next to Josh and Harm sat opposite him.

"You can't make me go." he said.

"Well actually I can, but I'm more worried about WHY you don't want to go."

"I just don't." Mac edged a little closer.

"Where'd you go to school while you were running honey?" she asked gently. Josh looked away.

"Josh?" Harm said. "Mac spoke to you."

"I didn't alright...I managed just fine."

"Is that why you don't want to go now?"

"It's a waste of time."

"I know you don't believe that." Mac said with worry.

"What the hell would you know about what I know?" Josh asked with venom. He wasn't normally that mean but he felt cornered by these people.

"Hey!" Harm said. "I've been cutting you some slack here because you've been through a lot and you're mad at me...I get that. But one thing I absolutely will NOT tolerate is you been rude and disrespectful to Mac. Now unless you want your own trip to the barn I suggest you reword that sentence."

"You're not gonna spank me." Josh said with narrowed eyes. He completely ignored what Harm had said, choosing instead to concentrate on what he saw as a threat and Harm saw as a promise.

"Really. You better apologise to Mac right now or we'll both find out." Josh's face flushed, partly with embarrassment and partly with anger. Harm had drawn a line in the sand and he had to decide whether or not to step over it.

TBC