Chapter Ten - Punishment

Buffy snapped a manacle around Spike's wrist then raised his other arm and snapped a manacle around that wrist as well, securing him facing the St. Andrew's cross in Faiths' playroom. "You know why I have to do this, right?"

Spike nodded and whispered, "Yes, Mistress."

"Tell me."

He closed his eyes and dropped his head, the words coming out in a strangled whisper, "I disobeyed you, and by doing so, I put Xander and Andrew in danger along with myself."

"That's right. How many lashes do you deserve?"

"As many as you like, Mistress."

"No, you tell me a number and I'll tell you if you're right."

Spike swallowed hard and whispered, "Twenty, Mistress?" even though he was certain he'd be unconscious well before the tenth strike.

He'd never seen her this angry. When she'd walked over to him in the foyer at the end of the fight, he was sure she was going to snap his neck and drop his body into the pile of dust at his feet, but she'd grabbed his arm and had nearly thrown him at the stairs with a snarl of, "Get your ass up to my room, where you should have fucking been to begin with! You will kneel at the foot of my bed and you Will. Not. Move. until I come get you." He'd scurried up the stairs and Buffy had shouted, "Xander! Andrew! Get your asses down here and start cleaning this shit up! We have clients coming!" He'd knelt on the floor at the end of her bed while she'd secured Angelus in the basement playroom and had tended to the wounded. His bladder had been screaming at him for nearly an hour when she'd finally stepped into her room. She'd ordered him to the toilet then had marched him to the playroom.

"We'll start with five. If I feel like you've learned the lesson, I'll stop. If not, I'll keep going. Understood?"

"Yes, Mistress."

"Count off, Pet."

The first strike sliced a line of fire across his back and he screamed out, "One, Mistress!" She wasn't holding back her strength and he wasn't sure he'd make it to five.

Downstairs, Xander and Andrew both looked up from their mopping when Spike screamed. Andrew laid down his mop and started for the stairs and Xander hissed, "Where are you going?"

Andrew turned, "This is my fault. I left her room first, so Spike shouldn't have to be the only one punished. We all should be." He turned back around and started up the stairs. Xander sighed then laid down his mop and followed Andrew.

They stopped outside the playroom door as Spike weakly screamed, "Four, Mistress!" and Andrew knocked.

Buffy jerked the door open, her demon to the fore, and snarled, "What?"

Andrew backed up a step and stammered, "Miss Buffy, Xander and I should be punished, too. This isn't all Spike's fault."

Buffy looked at them for a moment then stood back. "Thralls don't usually get punished, but if you insist. I'll finish whipping my pet and you'll get the same. Sound fair?"

Andrew and Xander both gulped and nodded with a whispered, "Yes, Miss," as they stepped into the room.

"Stand there." Buffy pointed to a corner of the room then stepped up behind Spike again as they moved over to it. "Where were we, Pet?"

Spike croaked out, "Four, Mistress." He wanted to beg her not to punish the boys but thought it might make things worse for all of them, so he kept quiet. The whip cracked across his back and he jerked in his bonds then screamed, "Five, Mistress!" Xander and Andrew both winced violently.

Buffy coiled the whip and held it in her hand as she stepped closer to Spike. Blood was dripping down his back from the lash marks and she dragged a finger through it then brought the blood to her mouth. "Have you learned the lesson, my pet?"

He sobbed, "Yes, Mistress. I'll never disobey you again. I'm sorry."

"Okay. We're done with the whipping, but for the next two days, you're not allowed to eat, drink, or fuck. You'll wear a plug and ring, and the ring will be released every three hours for thirty minutes. You'll be confined to my bed for the duration. Do you understand?"

Spike sobbed, "Yes, Mistress, I'm sorry."

Buffy nodded. "Andrew, release him. Xander, you're up."

Andrew unlocked the manacles and Spike dropped to the floor then crawled over to the wall and waited on hands and knees for the next part of his punishment. At least Xan and Andy wouldn't have to do this part, he hoped. Andrew secured Xander to the cross as Buffy fished a plug and ring out of one of the cabinets. She slicked the plug and slowly pushed it into Spike then turned it on. When he was hard, she snapped the ring around the base of his penis and said, "Kneel there until I'm done with these two."

Spike nodded and positioned himself in a sit-kneel, trying not to moan as the plug vibrated against his prostate. This was going to be a long two days.

Xander screamed out, "Five, Miss!" and Andrew released him from the cross. He joined Spike in a sit-kneel, hissing pain through his teeth as blood dripped down his back.

Spike looked over at him and whispered, "I'm sorry, Xan," as Buffy secured Andrew to the cross.

Xander shook his head and whispered, "Not all your fault, Spike."

"One more word out of either of you and you'll all get three more lashes."

They shut up as Andrew screamed, "One, Miss!"

The door opened and Faith stepped in. She took in the scene then asked, "What's going on, B?"

Buffy cracked the whip and Andrew screamed, "Two, Miss!"

She turned to Faith. "I was punishing my pet and these two asked to be punished along with him, so here we are."

"Oh." She nodded to Spike. "Are they gonna be plugged, too? Because they have shit to do and I don't know how well they'll be able to do it like that. Pretty sure they shouldn't be receiving event clients with plugs up their asses and hard dripping cocks."

"No, I'm not going to plug them. Once I'm done with Andrew, their punishment is over." She turned and cracked the whip and Andrew screamed out the number. Two more cracks and two more screams and Buffy turned to Xander. "Release him then go get cleaned up and finish what you were doing. We'll have clients here soon."

Xander released Andrew from the cross and they walked slowly and painfully out of the room. Andrew glanced over his shoulder at Spike and gave him a weak smile and a small nod. Faith watched them go then said, "I'll go get the girls started on getting ready for the event. You gonna participate?"

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, I'll have to since Darla's dust and Amanda's hurt. How's Amy?"

"She's fine. Just knocked her out. She filled up on blood from the basement dwellers and I topped her up with some of mine, so the knot on her head is healed." She motioned to Spike. "How long is he gonna be plugged?"

"Two days."

"Who's gonna tend to him while you're busy? Unless you're gonna press pause on your event clients every three hours."

"The boys can handle it when they're not doing something else. Once all the clients are in, they won't really have much to do anyway."

"Okay. I'll go tell them what to do while you tend to Spike. When's the first release?"

"Just before the clients arrive, so I'll do that one."

"Okay. I'll set them a schedule. See you in a few."

Buffy nodded and Faith left the room. She turned to Spike and said, "Up. Let's go."

Spike rose to his feet, stifling a moan as the plug moved inside him, then followed Buffy to her room. She pointed at the bathroom. "Kneel in the shower so I can clean you up. While you're plugged, you'll kneel for all but six hours a day, when you'll be allowed to lie down to try to sleep."

Spike murmured, "Yes, Mistress," and walked into the bathroom, sinking to his knees in the shower.

Buffy sprayed him down then gently cleaned the lash marks and patted them dry before applying antibiotic ointment. "Okay, Pet. Up on the bed. I have to get ready."

Spike crawled to the center of the bed and resumed the sit-kneel, the plug buzzing away inside him. His cock was bobbing against his belly, leaving a slick trail whenever he moved. He glanced at the clock and sighed quietly. As a punishment, he thought this was likely to be more painful than the lash marks that were throbbing in time with his heartbeat. One upside was that she hadn't put a cock cage on him like Faith usually did with Boy, so at least he wouldn't have that added pain to contend with.

Buffy showered then dried and brushed out her hair. She rifled through her closet until she landed on a blood red lingerie set with a sheer cover. She donned everything except the panties then sat down in the chair by the door and pointed to the floor in front of her. "Here, Pet." Spike got off the bed and knelt in front of the chair. She grasped his head and pulled his mouth into her crotch. He went to work licking, nipping, and sucking at her until she arched back with a shout. She lay bonelessly in the chair for several minutes then looked at the clock and said, "Into the shower, Pet," as she stood and pulled the panties on. "It's time to release the ring."

Spike rose to his feet and walked back into the shower, dropping to his knees. Buffy reached around from behind him and snapped the ring open and Spike's cock jerked, releasing his spend onto the floor. It was vaguely pleasurable but hurt a little more than it felt good. Buffy pulled the plug out and turned it off then said, "When it's soft enough, use the toilet then get back on the bed."

Spike nodded, "Yes, Mistress," as Buffy left the shower. It took several minutes for his cock to deflate enough that he thought he'd be able to urinate, so he stood and moved to the toilet, taking himself in hand as he thought about running water. Peeing hurt, too, but he emptied his bladder then returned to the bedroom and crawled up on the bed on his hands and knees.

Buffy said from her dressing table where she was brushing her hair again. "You still have ten minutes. Kneel."

Spike knelt and glanced at the clock then moved back to his hands and knees when the ten minutes were up. Buffy inserted the plug and waited for his cock to harden then snapped the ring on. When Spike was back in a sit-kneel, she walked over to the door. "One of the boys will be here in three hours for the next release. Keep to the schedule. I'll know if you don't, and each fuckup will add another three hours. You're not to touch the ring or the plug."

"Understood, Mistress."

Buffy nodded and left the room.

Spike's legs were asleep when Andrew slipped into the room almost three hours later. He was moving painfully but quickly as he walked over to the bed. "Okay, Spike, let's do this." He reached toward Spike's penis.

Spike shook his head. "Still have five minutes and we have to do it in the shower."

Andrew drew his hand back and nodded. "Okay, let's get you in there then."

Spike crawled off the bed, and, leaning on Andrew for support, shuffled into the bathroom before dropping to his knees. "Okay, Andy. It's time."

Andrew reached around and opened the ring and Spike groaned as he spent on the shower floor. "Fuck, that hurts, and it's only the second time. My todger's probably gonna fall off at this rate."

Andrew gently removed the plug and said, "I could bring some Tylenol or something next time."

Spike shook his head. "Probably not allowed, but thanks. How's your back? How's Xan? Why did you do that?"

"It hurts. Xan's hurts. And we did it because you didn't force us out of the room, Spike. We went out there on our own, so it wasn't fair that you were the only one punished for it."

"You still want to stay here after that?"

"Yeah. We'll heal, Spike. This is still our home and our family and Miss Buffy only whipped us because we asked her to."

"I can see Mistress punishing me, but you two weren't told to do anything. It was my responsibility to get you in there and lock the door. I didn't do that, and we could have all been killed."

"You know she's not really mad at you, right? She's scared. She lost Miss Darla and almost lost you and it scared her, so she's trying to drill it into your brain to keep yourself safe because she can't bear to lose you."

Spike stared at Andrew for several moments then dropped his head and closed his eyes. He choked out, "Okay, Andy, you can go wait out there until I'm done. Call out a five-minute warning, yeah?" Andrew nodded and left the bathroom. Spike didn't really need to pee, but he tried anyway and managed a few drops before he returned to the bed.

Andrew inserted the plug at thirty minutes on the dot then snapped the ring on and pulled the door open. "Be back in three hours, Spike."

Spike knelt and listened to the happenings in the mansion. The shagging had started and he was able to pick out Buffy's voice singing out in pleasure. He shifted slightly and winced. He hadn't realized until now that sitting still could hurt so much. His muscles were starting to scream at him and kink up in his neck, shoulders, and low back. He arched back, popping a few places in his spine, then settled back into position. The movement had pressed the plug hard against his prostate and he gasped as a sliver of pleasure shot through him. He looked at the clock, sure it was nearly time, but he still had over an hour to go. He sighed and dropped his head.

XXXX

Xander rolled over and slapped the alarm clock, shutting up the annoying beeping. He snuggled up against Andrew's back and had almost drifted back to sleep when his eyes shot open. He sat up quickly and climbed off the bed. He still had four minutes to get up to Buffy's room for Spike's fifth release. He sprinted up the stairs and burst into her room. Spike was still kneeling in the middle of the bed and his chin was resting on his chest. He was asleep. Xander glanced at the clock and tapped Spike on the knee. "Spike, wake up. It's time."

Spike lifted his head and blinked. "Okay. Could you help me up?"

Xander helped him off the bed and into the bathroom. Spike painfully dropped to his knees and Xander released the ring. Spike almost screamed at the pain as he spent on the floor then he breathed hard through his nose as Xander removed the plug. "Battery's almost dead on this one. I'll go grab another one. Be right back."

Spike nodded and braced his hands on his thighs as he bent forward slightly. His knees hurt immensely and his back was one big knot of pain. His cock had deflated by the time Xander returned, but he didn't have to pee, so he had Xander help him back to the bed and waited on hands and knees while Xander slicked the new plug and inserted it. He groaned in pain as his cock started to fill yet again and almost started crying when the ring was snapped into place.

"You can lay down this time, Spike."

Spike did start crying as he collapsed onto his side on the bed. "I don't know if I'm gonna make it, Xan. How many more times do I have left?"

Xander looked up at the clock and calculated. "Um… eight after this one, I think. Do you want a blanket or anything? You can't really get under the covers if you're in the middle."

Spike shook his head. "No. Probably isn't allowed. Mistress didn't say anything about it, so better not."

"Okay, see you in three hours."

"Yeah." Spike didn't dare snag one of the pillows to rest his head on, so he curled his arm and rested his head on that. He didn't think he'd be able to, but he fell asleep about fifteen minutes later.

XXXX

Xander stood looking at him for a few seconds then shook his head. Spike was dead asleep and Xander wasn't going to wake him up if he could help it. Buffy could whip him again if she wanted to, but Xander wasn't going to move Spike off the bed this time. He went into the bathroom and wet a hand towel then cupped it lightly over the head of Spike's cock. He checked the clock then released the ring. Spike jerked and groaned low as his cock emptied into the towel, but he didn't wake up. Xander pulled the plug out then gently wiped up the mess and balled up the towel to take with him. He sat on the edge of the bed listening to Spike breathe until it was time to put the plug back in. When Spike's cock was hard, he snapped the ring on and left the room. Buffy would handle the next release since the first night of the event was over and she'd be coming back to her room to shower and get ready for night two.

Buffy stepped into her room and walked over to the bed. Spike was still asleep. She frowned at him when she noticed he wasn't using a pillow or blanket. He was shivering in the cool air of the room and had curled himself into the smallest ball he could, wrapping one arm over his knees as he used the other one for a pillow. Buffy reached out and slid her hand along his hip. "Spike? Time to wake up."

He twitched then whispered, "Yes, Mistress," and started moving his legs away from his chest, freezing with a yelp of pain when his back muscles seized up. He gritted his teeth and breathed hard through his nose as he forced his body into a sit-kneel. He paused for a few seconds to gather himself, then slowly crawled off the bed and painfully shuffled into the bathroom.

Buffy followed him in and laid a hand on his arm before he could drop to his knees. "We're going to shower, so don't kneel this time."

He nodded and stood quietly, his muscles shaking with fatigue as he waited for her to release the ring. When she did, tears started coursing down his cheeks at the pain and he whispered, "I'm sorry, Mistress. I'm sorry."

"I know." She removed the plug and dropped it on the floor outside the shower then turned on the water and made sure it was warm before she nudged him under the spray. He hissed as the water hit the lash marks on his back then he started to relax slightly as the water loosened up his muscles. She washed him, taking extra care with his back and his bits, then rinsed him off and wrapped a towel around him. "Go wait on the bed until I'm done, Pet."

"Yes, Mistress." He shuffled out of the room and Buffy quickly shampooed and scrubbed the previous night's clients off her.

When she stepped into the bedroom, Spike was kneeling in the center of the bed, the towel still draped around his shoulders. He looked at her then glanced at the clock and tossed the towel to the floor before getting up on his hands and knees. The water had softened the scabs that had formed on his back and a couple of the lash marks were oozing blood.

Buffy stepped back into the bathroom and grabbed the antibiotic ointment then snagged the towel on her way to the bed. She patted and pressed lightly on the marks until they'd stopped bleeding then applied more ointment. Spike had glanced at the clock several times, his back tensing up as the minutes ticked by. "I think you've learned the lesson, Pet. Your punishment is over."

Spike's head dropped and he sobbed, "Thank you, Mistress."

"Lay down, Pet."

Spike laid down on his side again, curling his arm to use as a pillow, and Buffy shook her head. "No, get in bed. I want you to try to sleep for a few hours then go down and get something to eat if you're able. If you don't think you can, get Andrew to bring you something when he comes up in three hours."

Spike moved to his usual spot and got under the covers, settling his head on the pillow with a pained sigh. "Thank you, Mistress." He watched as she stood and moved to her closet to select a clean set of lingerie then asked quietly, "Do you want me to see to you before you go? If you use the plug, I could probably see to you fully."

Buffy shook her head with a grimace. "No. I'll make do with the clients tonight. You're in too much pain and I want you to rest." She quickly donned the lingerie then left the room without another word.