Chapter 26 – Shoulder to Shoulder

The girl had her head bowed, eyes to the floor, her hands grasped in front of her. Cait had tied her hair up into a high ponytail, which being at his eye level, he could see was shaking ever so slightly. It was warm in Home Plate so despite Cait not having any clothes on, she wasn't shaking because it was cold.

Nate was delighted, and had he not been in full on disciplinarian mode, he would have dragged the naked girl into a huge and enveloping hug. Real relief flooded through him as he looked at the third member of his team. His Cait. His stubborn, often bolshy, often opinionated, often short-tempered Cait had finally accepted her need for punishment. Whether she was relenting because she felt guilty for the other girls, or whether she had finally realised how much of a mistake she had made, what was important to Nate right at this moment was that Cait was one hundred percent still in the team.

Removing the stupid grin from his face before anyone saw, Nate asked, "so, you are coming to join us?" His tone soft but firm.

Cait sucked in a breath, looked up and smiled apprehensively, her grin a natural reaction to the nerves at her impending punishment. She soon had it under control and looking back down, she said quietly, "I don't want to leave the team."

Nate took a gamble that more was coming and so stayed quiet.

"And …" Cait paused, "I should have seen your hand signal, when we were clearing up to the iron works."

Nate paused, not really knowing what to say next. He didn't think more scolding would help, as Cait heard everything he said to the other two, but on the other hand he didn't want to treat Cait differently to her teammates.

"Yes, yes you should have seen my hand signal," was what Nate settled on. He moved to where the stool was and putting it to one side, went over to collect the chair. Once the chair was in position he sat, looking behind him to check the brush was within reach.

"Right, come here then." He commanded, holding out his hand. Cait moved over and took it, gently squeezing it as she did. Nate gently squeezed it back before guiding Cait over his knee. Nate took a calming breath, Cait was back, he smiled to himself. Had Nate turned around, at that particular moment, he would have seen both the other girls looking over their shoulders and then to each other. Through tear-streaked eyes they smiled to one another and then turning their heads a little more, stole a glance at Cait as she lay, draped over his knee, ready for her spanking to begin.

Nate saw no reason to delay Cait's punishment anymore and so, with his signature two taps on Cait's naked bottom, he began.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

His rhythmic hand, cupped ever so slightly, spanked the light skin of Cait's stretched bottom. First it landed on her right cheek and then her left, four smacks on each.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

In a similar pose to the first ever time Cait had put herself over his knee, she had her arms and legs straight, her firm bottom clenched ever so slightly. The effect causing her athletic body to show off all her muscle definition, and something Nate just loved about Cait, were the dimples that appeared on her bottom, one on each cheek. Whilst both Piper and Curie's bottoms jiggled a little when his hand delivered a spank, Cait's hardly moved at all. For Nate, he could feel nothing but solid muscle under each of his punishing blows.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

Nate settled into the same rhythm he had when spanking the other two, the only difference being that he didn't wrap his legs around Cait's as she was taking her punishment and keeping her legs still and feet stuck to the floor. Whilst she was keeping still, as his smacks grew in power, they began to elicit a few involuntary squeals of protest from the prone girl.

"OW! … AHH! … AAH! … ARGH!" Protested Cait, as she shook her head about, the only movement she allowed herself.

Nate continued the spanking for the full five minutes he had given the other girls and stopped just as abruptly as he had with the other two. Instead of sending Cait over to the wall to join her teammates, Nate just turned to collect the hairbrush from behind him. As soon as he turned, Piper and Curie quickly turned their heads back to face the wall, making it very obvious that they had both been watching their friends spanking.

"If you want to watch ladies then you should come round the front, so you can see properly." Nate stated, taking hold of the brush. "Come on then, you have already earned six with the cane each for not keeping your noses to the wall, so you might as well come round and watch." Nate pointing to a space slightly off to his right. The girls looked at each other and then at Nate, not sure what to do. Did he say they were going to get caned? "Come on round you two," Nate beckoned, "And yes, you are both going to bend over and present your bottoms for six strokes of the cane each, at the end of Cait's punishment, you did hear me correctly." Nate indicating he could see their puzzled looks and their hesitant body language. After another little pause, the girls slowly came round to the front, sheepish expressions on their faces.

Just as soon as they had moved round to stand off to his right, a position where they could see Cait's bottom on full display, Nate released his right leg and hooked it around Cait's legs, clamping them into place.

"Wait, what!" Cait exclaimed, obviously wanting to keep her legs stretched out behind her rather than have them bent and tucked in beside Nate.

"You will thank me in a second," responded Nate flatly and with that he gripped the hairbrush tightly and began again.

CRACK! THWACK! CRACK! CRACK!

The hairbrush began its relentless assault on Cait's reddened bottom, Nate landing two smacks on each cheek. Cait's legs did involuntarily try to push out behind her, but as she was clamped into place, her upper body just rocked a little on each impact.

"AHH! FUCK! AHH! AHH!" Were Cait's cries as she was held fast.

The effect of Nate holding her legs, bent at the waist and clamped down by his side was that Cait's bottom was now more stretched than it had been before. This was bound to sting more as Nate continued his punishing barrage.

THWACK! CRACK! CRACK! THWACK!

"AGH! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" Cait continued to vocalise the increasing sting and burn assaulting her already well punished rear.

"I … am … very … happy … you … came … to … your … senses," Nate stated as he continued to spank, each word emphasised with a swat from the hairbrush.

"FUCK! AGH! AHH! AHH!" was Cait's response.

CRACK! CRACK! SMACK! SMACK!

Nate continued the punishment, Cait's bottom now a mish mash of reds, burgundies and purples.

CRACK! SMACK! THWACK! CRACK!

Nate began ranging around the outer parts of Cait's now well spanked bottom, landing a few on the underside of her cheeks and the top of her legs.

"AIIIIIIYYYIIIIEEEEEEE!" Cait squealed loudly as the hairbrush attacked virgin skin.

Looking at the clock, Nate realised he had been spanking Cait for around six minutes and not wanting it to look like he was picking her out for special treatment, he stopped with a particularly hard flurry of four swats.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

"OH … MY … GOD … FUCK!" Cait continued to cry out.

Having finished this part of Cait's punishment, Nate reached back and placed the hairbrush on the shelf behind him and tapping Cait's now burning hot bottom he stated, "Right, up you get".

Cait struggled a little to her feet and immediately began rubbing her tender cheeks. "I didn't say anything about you being able to rub, did I?" Nate looked disapprovingly at Cait. She paused, of all the things Cait might well have been tempted to have done or said, given the very tender state of her bottom, she opted to do exactly as she was told, and her hands shot down to by her sides. "Good girl." Nate observed.

Nate then placed the chair back against the wall and brought the stool back in to the middle of the room. Going over to the breakfast bar, he collected the paddle, again tapping the flat wooden object against his other palm.

"Come on, you know the drill," Nate pointed to the stool, slapping his palm with the paddle for emphasis.

Cait reluctantly lowered her body over the stool, lying her stomach flat on the seat of the stool and reaching down to grab the footrest over on one side. Nate came to stand above her, resting the flat of the paddle against her already black and blue backside. He tapped the paddle twice…

CRACK! CRACK! THWACK! CRACK!

Each whack much louder than the smacks with the hairbrush. The impact of the paddle pushed Cait a little forward, when the last of the four swats landed Cait let go of the footrest, her arms shooting out in front of her, fingers splayed out wide.

"AAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" She screamed.

THWACK! CRACK! CRACK! THWACK!

Nate continued with the exact same rhythm as he did for the hairbrush, delivering the first twenty in short order. Cait was gasping for breath at the end of the set as she tried to regain control over her breathing. Her knuckles having gone white as she gripped on to the cross bar of the stool.

At this point Cait's bottom had taken on a layered look, an undercoat of angry red, with scattered splotches of burgundy, purple and blue. The two areas around her sit bones particularly dark.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

The second half of the swats followed with no pause, Cait's composure slowly unravelling as the swats continued.

"AH! HA! AH! HA!" were Cait's sobs as the final four were delivered.

"Right, I want you up and standing here" Nate ordered as he helped the sobbing Cait to her feet. Not sure what she should be doing and in a bit of a daze, Cait automatically put her hands on her head whilst she stood in front of Nate, her sobbing reflexes making her breasts bounce a little. Nate manoeuvred her to stand beside Piper and Curie and then put the stool and chair back to their home places. He then placed the paddle on his desk and unhooked the cane from beside the bookshelf.

Moving back into the middle of the room Nate pointed to two spots on the rug.

"Piper you are to stand here and Curie," Nate moved a little, "you are to stand here. You are both to face the wall, bend over and grab your ankles." Nate began to absent mindedly bend the cane. The two girls moved to their allotted spaces and after a little pause, showing they were unsure as to what exactly to do next, Curie took the lead. Facing the wall as instructed, Curie placed her feet shoulder length apart and bent forward grasping her ankles. Piper, on seeing her friends exposed position blushed furiously, her cheeks on her face nearly matching those on her well spanked bottom.

"Come on, Piper, you too." Ordered Nate, pointing with the cane.

"Urgh!" huffed Piper as she set her feet and bent forward, gripping her ankles in a repeat of Curie's pose. Nate could see why the girls were reluctant to adopt this position as it exposed everything the girls had to Nate's view. 'Let humiliation play its part,' thought Nate as he took a step back to line up his cane strokes. Seeing that Cait needed to be moved, as she was currently standing in the spot Nate would need to be in to cane Piper, he turned to move her over to the other side of the room. Nate was about to speak when Cait lowered her arms and walking around Nate, she strode past the bent over Piper and then Curie to take her position the far side of the girls. Placing her own feet shoulder length apart she bent forward and grabbed her ankles, presenting her own bottom for the cane. It was obvious that Cait wanted Nate to cane her as well. One for all and all for one, Nate chimed in his head. Cait was showing that she was in this team no matter what. In her act of submitting to her own punishment and then presenting herself for the cane, whatever resentment there might have been felt by the other girls was sure to have disappeared by this act of solidarity. Nate took a step back to view his three companions. Each sporting a colourful, well-marked bottom, the girls held their position under Nate's gaze, regardless of the shame they might have felt.

Nate then realised that by Cait joining them, the three girls had made a perfect line, but with no real option for Nate to reach Curie and Cait's bottoms, even though they were well presented. Thinking on his feet, Nate saw one option he could try.

"Cait, I want you to stand up, take a step back and then get back in to position," Nate ordered. Cait stood and seeing what Nate wanted from her, she took two steps backwards, getting back into position a good few yards behind the other girls. Nate walked up to beside her and tapped the cane against her presented and very welted bottom.

"There will be no moving out of position or sneaking a peak whilst you are facing the wall, do I make myself clear to all of you?" Nate confirmed as he continued to tap the cane against Cait's backside.

"Yes sir," came the response in unison.

SWISH … THWACK!

Nate landed the first stroke across Cait's tight and stretched cheeks.

"AH … FUCK!" Cait exclaimed.

SWISH … THWACK!

The second landed just below the first, the line sinking into the reds and purples already present on the Irish girl's well-tanned rear.

"AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Cait yelped, throwing her hands out in front of her.

"Stand up, take a pace forward and get back into position, please," Nate ordered. Cait was caught by surprise as she was bracing herself for the following four strokes that she knew were coming. Nate was obviously intending on giving these, two at a time. "Don't you dare rub," Nate added to his instructions. Cait obeyed immediately and moved back to join the other girls.

"Curie, stand up and take a step back please, then back into position." Nate commanded, moving down the line to stand next to his second bent over companion. Curie's bottom was in a similar state to Cait's but with Curie, her bottom had these two lop sided figure of eight patterns, two large ring bruises on each cheek. Nate made a note to try not to land the cane across the middle of these bruises as he had decided the girls had taken one hell of a hiding already. As soon as Curie was in position, behind the other two and bent over, Nate lined up the cane against the lower part of her punished orbs.

SWISH … THWACK!

The cane landed on the upper most part of Curie's legs and on a lighter part of the punished area. An angry red welt appeared and unlike on Cait's bottom, the line stayed.

"MEEEEERRRRRDDDDDEEEEEE!" Cried Curie, throwing her hands back to grasp at her stinging rear end.

"Move those hands now Curie, or I will add more," Nate threatened.

After only a slight pause, Curie returned her shaking hands to her knees, her right hand not resting on her leg but balled up in a fist, in anticipation of what was coming next.

"Hands on your knees," snapped Nate. Curie did as she was told and Nate lined up the second stroke.

SWISH … THWACK!

"AAAIIIIYYYEEEEEEEE!" Curie squealed as she jumped up, and then realising her mistake immediately bent back over, her legs shaking a little as she took up position. A second red line appearing at the top of Curie's legs, just on the curve of her bottom.

"Stand up Curie and join the other girls please." Nate asked in a less harsh tone. "Piper, come on, you are next." Nate pointed to a spot on the rug the other two had recently occupied. Piper, seeing exactly what Nate wanted of her she also stepped back and bent back over, giving Nate full access to her presented bottom. Obviously still very much feeling the effects of her previous punishment, Piper shook both legs as she moved position, making her bottom jiggle a little as she stretched back over and grabbed her ankles.

Nate wasted no time in lining up the first stroke.

SWISH … THWACK!

"OH MY GOD!" Piper cried as she bent both legs and dropped her bottom, bouncing it as if to shake off the burn.

Nate waited until Piper took up her position again before lining up the next stroke.

SWISH … THWACK!

The second red line appearing and then disappearing as it was soaked up by the reds and blues of Piper's well-tanned bottom.

"AAARRRGGGGHHH!" Cried Piper, her hands reaching out in front of her in a similar pose to Cait's. It was obvious the girls were trying hard not to reach back and then having extra strokes added on for rubbing, but this punishment was testing them to their limits. Piper had to obviously fight to stay in her bent over position, but she managed it, her legs shaking as she did so.

"Back into line please Piper," Nate ordered, as Piper gratefully stood and moved forward to join the line of bent over girls.

Nate waited a few seconds after Piper was back bending over, grasping her ankles, and then he ordered a stop to the proceedings.

"Right Ladies, I want you all to stand up and turn around, your punishment is over." He stated.

The girls hesitated for a few seconds and then slowly rose and turned.

"Yes, you can rub now," Nate smiled. Each of the girls needing no second command as they reached behind and began to rub and knead some relief into their punished cheeks.

"How come we aren't getting six with the cane?" Piper asked, "Not that I am complaining, Blue." She grimaced, holding her hands up, obviously wanting to check the punishment was truly over.

"Because Cait joined you," Nate answered in a matter of fact tone. "When Cait took up her position, next to you two, I knew you guys were truly a team and that the iron works was just a blip." Nate smiled.

"My god, my poor backside doesn't think that was a blip!" Exclaimed Curie, rubbing her bottom for emphasis, "but thank you Cait, you are an angel," said Curie, attempting a smile.

"No, don't thank me, I should have been with you both from the beginning," Cait blew out a breath, "I was just so angry at having to accept a punishment." She put her hands on her hips.

"Still angry?" Piper asked as she moved over to the sink to grab a glass of water.

"At myself, yes." Answered Cait. "I was so cross at you first," she pointed to Nate, "So cross that you had been shot, that you had nearly died, how could you be that … human, that fragile. You are supposed to be invincible, not the one lying on the floor fighting for your life. I was so angry at you for all of that, that I was fucked if I was going to let you put your hands on me, let alone ask you to… well you know." Cait looked down at the floor, "But even from just after you had been shot, I knew I had fucked up so badly, I was just not willing to admit it. If I admitted what I had done, then I would have to admit that I was the one that nearly got you killed. What if you had died, what if I had got you killed?" Cait pleaded as her shoulders slumped. Overcome with the emotion pent up inside her for so many days the tears truly came, unabated and unrestrained.

Nate stepped forward and wrapped the sobbing girl into his arms. "Hey, that's alright, I am here and you have learnt your lesson, right?" Nate held Cait at arm's length, trying to look her in the eyes, to show he was serious. That was way too soon for Cait, as she just rushed back into his arms and buried herself in his embrace. As he could do nothing but hold the sobbing girl, he looked up to see Piper and Curie creep past, signalling a request to go downstairs and freshen up. Nate nodded and smiled to the two girls as he turned his attention back to this small figure wrapped up in his arms. All of a sudden, here she was, his Cait, a very small and fragile figure, clinging to him as if her very survival depended on it and his heart nearly broke in two.