A HUGE special thank you to my friend CCSquirrel for her help,support and patience in translating!

Thank you all for your nice messages!,They make my adrenaline!

Stayed safe.

Enjoy!

The End Of The Trip

The train arrived in Sacramento early in the afternoon. The kids were excited to finally get off! Ethan, carrying Tess and a bag, decided to have a snack now before making purchases.

"George, give Claire your hand, Ben hold hands with Joseph. There are many people here, I don't want us separated, it's dangerous."

"I'm not a baby, I can walk alone!" Ben replies.

"You will do what I say!" Ethan growls.

"No!"

Ethan takes Ben's hand firmly, forcing him to walk with him. Arriving at a restaurant, he orders coffee for him, a glass of milk and a piece of pie for each child. He places Tess on Claire's lap.

"Benjamin, come with me!" Ethan commands.

"No!"

Ethan having had enough of the child's challenge, lifts him by the armpits. Having swung him up on his hip before heading towards the back of the restaurant. Ethan sat down on the bench against a porch wall and placed the child right in front of him.

"Look at me Ben! Can you explain this behavior today? When I tell you to do something, I want immediate obedience! Do you hear me?" His voice was stern, he knew the child would not resist tears.

"Yes Papa! I'm sorry!" Sobbed Ben.

Ethan thought quickly, he had to follow through, he couldn't let it go. He tipped the child over his knees.

"I don't want any more disobedience!" He slapped the little behind!

"I don't want any more backtalk!" He administered another slap.

"And finally, you don't say "no" when I tell you to do something!" He quickly ran his hand under the boy's hips, unbuttoned his jeans and moved the underwear. Laying a last sound slap to Ben's naked bottom before putting the clothes back in place.

"Do I make myself clear enough? You are to immediately obey what I tell you with no backtalk!" Ethan added. He sat Ben on his lap, hugging him and against his chest, until the sobs turned to gasps.

"I will never accept that one of my children is disobedient, answers back, or is even downright disrespectful! A spanking will be the result every time! Do you understand Benjamin?"

"Yes sir!"

"If I have to repeat this lesson son, it will be on your naked behind for all of the spanking! It is a promise!" Ethan informs him as he fastens the boy's last button.

"I will not do it again, Pa! "

"Okay, I forgive you Ben. Let's go inside."

Back in the restaurant, Ethan enjoys his coffee and pie. The children are also delighted to taste theirs. Ethan paid, then he and the children did some shopping. He bought a good wagon with a removable tarpaulin, as well as two robust horses to pull it. The groceries were bought for the trip. When everything was loaded, a little after 4 p.m, Ethan gave his orders for departure:

"Claire, you sit up next to me with Tess. Up you go." He lifted them both at the same time and placed them on the seat which made the girls laugh. "You boys are in the back. Joseph, you pay attention to your brothers. Don't let them fall out the back."

"Yes ... Papa." said Joseph. He still couldn't get over the word. Ethan smiled, ruffling his hair. He lifted Joseph, as well as Ben and George to put them in the wagon.

"Paradise here we come!" He declared, clicking the reins for the horses.

"When do we get there, Papa?" George asked a few minutes later, making everyone laugh.

"A few days, son. Maybe four since we left late. We are going to camp and have fun. This trip will be nothing like it was with the train. It will be a wonderful adventure." Ethan answered.

Ethan stopped early for the night, he had found the perfect place with a stream and a large space between the trees for the children to run. The children needed to play and have a little fun. By taking Tess in his arms, he noticed that she had tried to remove her diaper again. Thankful she was still dry, he quietlly withdrew into the trees with the baby to get her to pee. Having success he congratulated her before giving her a clean diaper.

Deciding to join the children's play he wound up chasing after each child, tickling them in turn, making them laugh out loud! Then all of a sudden while he was resting on the ground, all the children threw themselves on him. It was not tickling he felt, but huge hugs from all sides!

"Thank you, Pa! This was fun." They called, bringing tears to his eyes.

After a good meal in the light of the campfire, everyone fell asleep under the wagon. Unbeknownst to Tess, who was already asleep, Ethan tied a rope around the baby's ankle, connecting the other end to his own ankle. He wanted to be sure that she did not wander away alone during the night.

Ethan woke up having heard something. He untied the rope at both ankles, the child hadn't even noticed, and got up.

"What are you doing Joseph?" Asked Ethan when he saw him rummaging in the wagon.

Joseph jumps guiltily not having heard anyone awake but doesn't answer.

"Joseph, I know you. I know when you do things you shouldn't. You have that look now. Tell me what you were doing, right now! Unless you want a spanking and then we will talk."

"You can not do that! Spank me first!"

"I can, believe me. It's true that I prefer to talk first so you know why you are being punished. Also so I know why I am being forced to punish you! I am ready to listen."

"I took out your rifle and looked at it." admitted the child while staring at the ground.

"Look at me Joseph!" Ethan orders. His tone of voice stern. "I forbid you to touch a weapon, mine or another! You knew you were doing wrong or you would not have tried to hide it by sneaking around. Isn't this correct?"

"Yes Sir, I knew it. I know you did not want me touching it. I meant to just look but then I didn't."

Ethan folded the child under his left arm, pressing the upper part of Joseph's body against his hip. He raised his right hand and landed a single strong smack on the jean covered backside. He then straightened the boy holding him firmly by shoulders to look into his tearing eyes.

"If I hear of or catch you touching a weapon again, I will remove my belt, Joseph! I promise you! Do you hear me?"

"Yes, Pa!" sobbed the child rubbing his stinging behind.

Ethan hugged him tightly. "Weapons are dangerous Joseph! I love you too much to risk that you hurt yourself or hurt someone else by being foolish. Promise me that you won't do it again. I will teach you how to use them safely when it is time."

"I promise you Pa! "

"Okay, I forgive you."

After a good breakfast, consisting of coffee for Ethan, water for the children,, eggs and bacon, they hit the road. Claire in front with Tess and the boys in the back. Around ten o'clock they stopped so that everyone could relieve themselves. He took Tess and as the last time her half-removed diaper was dry when he lifted her dress.

When they left this time, he told Claire and Joseph to get in the wagon bed with Tess and put Ben and George next to him. Glancing next to him, Ethan saw his little boys looking at him with love and even admiration.

"Ben, slide over here, sit on my knees." Ethan told him.

The child obeyed and slipped over Ethan's knees, between his muscular arms. The man took the small hands of the child and positioned them correctly on the reins, covering them with his own huge hands. "Well, there you go, you are driving the wagon!" He said to his delighted son. After twenty minutes, he felt Ben tire.

"Ben return to your place so George can have a turn. George, now you do it, come here." Ethan did the exact same thing with him, the child beamed in turn.

Three days passed in this way, pleasant and informative for the children, Ethan patiently answered all the questions, including why the sky is blue why the grass is green.

The last day, at noon, Ethan stopped for lunch. Carrying Tess, he realized that once again she had tried to remove her diaper which was dry. "Very well," he thought, "that's enough." He unloaded the picnic, helped by all the children, Tess carrying a small basket of fruit.

"Prepare everything for our picnic, children. I'm going away for a moment with Tess, I want to speak to her in private. Come here Tess."

The baby, without thinking, confidently got up and threw herself into his arms. All the other children looked at Ethan with mouths open, shocked.

Ethan laughed at their shocked expressions!

"She is not in trouble! I am not going to spank her. Do not worry. She's a bit small to be as naughty as you four!" He teased.

Ethan walked away with Tess. As he crouched on the grass to look her in the eyes, he saw the child already had her eyes on him.

"I noticed that you had removed your diaper again, Tess. I don't want you to take it off alone because you could hurt yourself with the pins. Look at me darling. I'm not scolding you, don't cry. What I propose to you is to remove it, outright. Do you want to be a big girl now and take off your diaper? We bought big girl underwear remember? You'll have to make the effort to ask to pee. Do you want to try?"

Tess threw herself into his arms nodding happily!

"I think that means yes! Come, we'll take it off. You try to pee." He said helping to hold her dress up. Pulling up her new underpants instead of a diaper, he clarified; "Look at me sweetie. I promise you that Papa will never punish you if you have an accident and wet, never. We will change you and you will try again. Do you understand my heart?" His tone of voice was soft, calm but firm.

Tess threw herself into his arms again, he hugged her tightly, carrying her to eat.

Ethan explained to everyone what he and Tess decided.

"I forbid you to scold her if she has an accident. It doesn't matter, we will change her and she tries again, understood?"

"Yes Papa" they said.

After the meal, Ethan amused himself with the children. He and Joseph, who was really skillful with his hands, built a hut style shelter with branches. The younger children were delighted to play in it for a few hours. Soon it was two o'clock, time for Ethan and the children to get back on the road.

"Only three short hours left and we'll be at home." said Ethan. "Claire, go up in back with the boys. Joseph, you come sit next to me and bring your little sister. I know the road well, it's all right for her to sit with me. He took Tess in his arms, holding the reins with her as he had done with the boys. Tess laughed so much! Then suddenly barely audible ... he heard!

"I love you Papa." Very slowly, like a whisper, no one had heard but him, making his heart jump in his chest! That's it! His little daughter had enough confidence in him to speak! Not just a word, a sentence! She remembered the vocabulary from before her mother's death! She would soon speak normally, he knew it.

"I also love you very much my little girl, very much and I am very proud of you!" He whispered in his turn into her ear. Nobody heard, it was just between them.

When Tess got tired, he passed the reins to Joseph. He was big enough to drive them alone. Ethan positioned his hands correctly, then pushed a little more, explaining to him how the brake worked and how to go right or left. Like Ethan suspected, the child learned quickly and was gifted in everything he did.

After some time, Ethan called to Claire, "Do you wish to have a turn to drive too?" Then at her reply he said "Joseph, now change with Claire. You did excellent, son."

Claire had been able to drive the team alone. She was also quite talented. But she was tired quickly enough.

Finally, about five o'clock, for everyone's pleasure, Paradise was in sight!