Olivia carefully applied calamine lotion to Grace's rash, soothing the itch, and then she capped the bottle, and put it back in the cabinet, and then Olivia took Grace out to the bed where the older brunette sat down.
"On your knees, little girl." Olivia ordered, and Grace dropped to her knees at Olivia's feet naked, "First, let me be perfectly clear. I am still proud of you for being a good girl this evening, that hasn't changed. You were respectful and obedient the whole time we were with Don and Eileen, and that was very good. However, we need to discuss the difference between being polite and respectful, and being reckless and irresponsible. It is not rude or disrespectful to turn down food that you know you're allergic to, but it is dangerous to accept food that you know you're allergic to that could potentially kill you. Thus far since you've been living with me, we haven't had anything to eat in this house with cherries in it, and in the future we will be careful to not buy things that contain cherries. I didn't think to ask you if there are any foods you're allergic to, which is my fault; that should have been one of the first questions I asked you when I brought you home. However, you've had numerous opportunities to mention it to me while we were cooking together. You are already on internet restriction this week, and now you're going to have a very sore bottom on top of it. When you don't take care of yourself properly, you aren't respecting or taking care of my property, and I don't tolerate anyone mistreating my property or putting my property in danger. If you were afraid of coming off as rude, then you should have asked to speak to me privately and told me about your allergy, and I would have helped you navigate that situation."
"I'm sorry, Ma'am. I just wanted to make a good first impression on your family." Grace hung her head in shame.
"I think you accomplished that. You aren't in trouble for wanting to make a good impression, I am proud of you for that. You are in trouble for disrespecting my property by being irresponsible in regard to your health. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Ma'am, I understand."
"Good girl. Go to the closet; on the shelf you'll find a small paddle with six holes in it. I want you to bring that to me."
"Yes, Ma'am." Grace went to the closet and easily located the correct paddle. She handed the wooden implement over to her stern Mistress and draped herself across Olivia's lap without being told, staring down at the familiar patch of carpet. She whimpered when she felt the paddle tapping her bottom.
"Do you understand why you're getting a spanking?" Olivia inquired.
"Yes, Ma'am, because I disrespected your property by being irresponsible with my health." Grace admitted, "I'm sorry."
"I know you're sorry, and I'm sorry I have to put you over my knee again. Can we try really hard to make this the last time for a while?"
"Yes, Ma'am, I promise." Grace vowed, realizing that she had gotten several spankings close together, and she resolved to make this the last time. Of course, Grace would never be able to keep that promise, but her intention was genuine.
"That's my good girl. Lay your head down and relax this naughty bottom."
Grace laid her head down on the bed and forced herself to relax her bottom muscles. She felt the paddle leave her bottom, and then it came crashing down with a powerful sting.
"OWWW!" Grace yelped.
It didn't take very long before Grace was crying heavily and pleading with Olivia to stop, her feet kicking.
"Little girl, do not kick. I won't have you throwing tantrums while you're supposed to be learning and I don't want you to accidentally bash your head on the bed." Olivia scolded.
"I'm sorry, Ma'am, it hurts! OW!" Grace struggled to keep her legs down.
"I know it hurts, it's supposed to hurt. This is what happens to naughty little girls in this house."
"I'll be a good girl, I promise! I'lll take care of myself, I won't put myself in danger again! Oh, please! Please, Ma'am, it hurts!" Grace wailed.
"You didn't exactly lie to me, so I am not going to wash your mouth out with soap this time, but from now on if there is something important that you need to tell me, whether it's related to food or any other subject, not telling me will be considered a form of lying and you will get your mouth washed out with soap next time. Do you understand?" Olivia lectured.
"Yes, Ma'am! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lie!" Grace wept miserably.
"Your health and safety are my number one priority, and I expect you to do your part by not putting food in your body that you know can harm you. I understand that you wanted to make a good impression tonight, and I am so proud of you for that. As I said, refusing food that you know you are allergic to is not rude behavior, it is the responsible thing to do, and you would not have been in the least amount of trouble for doing so. Don and Eileen are reasonable people and Eileen wouldn't have been insulted by you refusing her cheesecake, and I will never be angry with you for speaking up for yourself. Later we will call Eillen and you are going to tell her about your allergy so a situation like this doesn't come up again. And what are you going to do the next time someone offers you food that you are allergic to?"
"I will refuse it! I promise! Please, Ma'am, no more!" Grace began to sob.
"That's my good girl. Just a few more hard spanks, my baby." Olivia delivered the last ten spanks, tossed the paddle aside as if it had burned her, and then began to tenderly rub Grace's punished bottom. Grace rested across Olivia's lap for several minutes and then pushed herself up and crawled into Olivia's arms to be cuddled, comforted, and babied.
"Such a good girl. There, there, just relax and cry it out, my baby. I'm right here, my baby is all forgiven." Olivia soothed, cuddling Grace close to her heart, being careful to keep Grace's spanked bottom off the rough material of her jeans.
"I didn't mean to lie, Ma'am! I didn't mean it!" Grace sobbed on Olivia's shoulder, clinging to Olivia for dear life.
"I know, sweetheart, I believe you. I know you didn't think of it as lying, I was just warning you for next time. I am always honest with you, and I expect the same respect in return. I can't take care of you and keep you safe if you aren't honest with me." Olivia explained gently, slowly rocking Grace in her arms.
"Please don't be angry, Ma'am, I'm sorry!" Grace pleaded through her sobs.
"No more apologies now, my baby. Do you remember my promise? I promised you that I would never put my hands on you in anger, and I intend to keep that promise. I am not the least bit angry with you; I am concerned for your health and safety, but I'm not angry. My good girl is all forgiven." Olivia assured her.
Grace sobbed on Olivia's shoulder until finally her loud sobbing died down to quiet whimpering. Still Olivia cuddled Grace close to her heart; it would be completely up to Grace to decide when she was done getting cuddles. With mostly dry eyes, Grace giggled softly as she and Olivia engaged in quiet, simple conversation while Olivia continued to gently rub her bottom. Grace reluctantly got up from Olivia's lap when a trip to the bathroom became necessary. Olivia got up and went to the closet to put the paddle away, and she smiled sympathetically when she heard Grace yelp.
The next morning, Olivia walked into the precinct with a tired yawn and was greeted by Elliot handing her a cup of coffee.
"Thanks." Olivia gratefully accepted the coffee.
"Somebody stayed up too late last night." Elliot grinned, and Olivia chuckled.
"It's not like that, she's not ready yet. She had a rash last night after she ate something she's allergic to and I was too worried to sleep, but I checked this morning and she's fine now. Where is everybody?" Olivia asked when she noticed that Churlish was the only one at her desk.
"We had a call come in before you got here and I sent Fin and Nick to Mercy hospital to talk to the victim, Kat is in the kids' interview room trying to talk to a little girl who was found alone in Central Park who doesn't seem to understand English, and it's Amanda's day off." Elliot rattled off the information. Both of them looked up when Kat walked in.
"Based on what little Chinese I know, her name is Daiyu and she turns six in a week. Her mom took her to play in Central Park and her mom disappeared. She's not hurt, just scared and hungry." Kat reported.
"There are some pudding cups in the fridge in the break room, give her one and then call ACS. I have an old friend who speaks fluent Chinese, I'll see if I can get him on the phone." Olivia said.
"Auntie!"
Olivia turned around and was confused and alarmed when she saw Jessie running toward her, and she bent down to scoop the little girl into her arms.
"Sweetie, how did you get here? Are you here by yourself?" Olivia asked with loving concern, and Jessie smiled.
"No, silly. Mama's down the hall in the potty with Billie and she said I could come see you."
"Oh." Olivia chuckled a sigh of relief, "Well, I'm very happy you came to see me. Let's go find some pudding cups for you and your sister." Olivia carried Jessie into the break room and retrieved two pudding cups from the fridge.
"Are you filling my children with sugar again?" Amanda scolded playfully when she walked into the precinct holding Billie's hand and found Jessie happily sitting in Elliot's desk chair while Olivia opened Jessie's pudding cup for her.
"Of course, what kind of Aunt do you think I am?" Olivia laughed, catching Billie in her arms when the little girl ran to her and giving her a loving squeeze before giving her the second pudding cup. "This is an unexpected surprise. Not that I'm not happy to see you even on your day off, but what are you guys doing here?"
"Can I talk to you in your office?" Amanda asked, and Olivia saw the fear in her eyes.
"Of course." Olivia led Amanda into her office and closed the door, "What happened?"
"I took Jessie and Billie to play in the park, and while we were there I got this weird text." Amanda pulled out her phone and showed Olivia the text she had received.
I'm watching you no matter where you go.
"I put the girls in the car and came straight here." Amanda said.
Olivia felt her blood run cold. Melissa had said these same words to Grace two or three times. Olivia immediately picked up the phone on her desk and dialed a number.
"Morales, this is Captain Benson. I need you to come up here immediately, we need to put a trace on a cell phone." Olivia spoke into the phone.
"According to my trace, the text came from a phone belonging to a woman named Sarah McPherson." Morales reported.
"Well, we know that's a fake name. But that doesn't make any sense, she's still locked up at Rikers." Olivia said. She picked up her phone and dialed a number, "Yes, this is Captain Olivia Benson with the Manhattan Special Victims Unit. I'm calling to confirm that you still have custody of a prisoner named Melissa Steele." Olivia waited impatiently as she was put on hold.
"What happened?" Amanda asked fearfully, watching the color drain from Olivia's face, and Olivia held up a hand to hush her while she listened to the person on the other end of the line.
"What the hell do you mean she was transferred out? Who ordered that? Where the hell was she transferred to?" Olivia demanded, "If you value your job you will not put me on hold again. And I'm on hold again." Olivia growled.
Amanda stumbled as if she might pass out on the floor. Morales caught her in his arms and guided her into a chair. Olivia glanced out into the bullpen and saw that Jessie and Billie were still happily distracted with Elliot. Olivia saw Kat walk back into the precinct and Jessie ran into her arms. They were all family and protected their own.
Olivia turned her attention back to the phone when the person on the other end of the line came back.
"All right, thank you. And kindly tell your superior that there will be an investigation into your prisoner transfer policies, and if I smell even a hint of cover up there will be an investigation into you personally." Olivia hung up the phone, and then she dialed another number and waited while it rang. "Yes, this is Captain Olivia Benson with the Manhattan Special Victims Unit. I'm calling to confirm that you received a prisoner transfer from Rikers. Melissa Steele. Yes, I'll wait." Olivia waited impatiently until someone came back to the phone. "All right, thank you. You've been very helpful." Olivia hung up the phone and turned to Amanda and Morales.
"Well?" Amanda asked anxiously.
"According to Rikers' paperwork, Melissa was ordered to be transferred to Bellevue Prison Ward. And according to Bellevue, they don't have anyone by the name of Melissa Steele."
"What does that mean?" Morales asked.
"It means Melissa is in the wind."