A/N: I want to wish all of my readers a very Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you enjoy your day.
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Cat snuck out again on Friday and this time she made it all the way to town. She left Beauty in the alley next to the saloon and watched for the boys to show up. They arrived just as she was getting ready to leave. "Alright, I'm here. Let's look real quick so I can leave. If I get caught, I'm going to get at least two whippings depending on who catches me and I don't even want one, let alone two."
"Don't you want to know what goes on in a saloon?" asked Billy.
"No I don't. I only came to keep you from burning down the Ponderosa and my friends' houses and barns."
They had only been looking under the saloon door for a few minutes when they were pulled to their feet by rough hands. "WHAT ON EARTH DO YOU KIDS THINK YOU'RE DOING? ALL THREE OF YOU ARE IN HUGE TROUBLE! CATHERINE MICHAEL CARTWRIGHT WHEN I FINISH WITH YOU, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO SIT DOWN FOR A MONTH! LET'S GO!" Cat's worst fears had been realized. They had been caught by Adam and she knew that she was in more trouble than she had ever been in before. No amount of begging or pleading would keep her from getting two bare bottom whippings even though Adam wasn't even supposed to spank her yet. She figured if she was lucky, she might be allowed off the ranch when she turned sixteen.
"Where are you taking us?" asked Billy.
"I'm taking you to Sheriff Coffee. He can keep an eye on you until your fathers can be found. Catherine already knows what's going to happen to her." The boys tried to run off, but Adam grabbed each of them by the back of their shirt and marched them to Roy's office.
Roy looked up when the door opened. "Hello Adam, what have you got there?"
"I caught the three of them looking under the door at the Bucket of Blood."
"Oh, I see. You boys have no idea exactly how much trouble you're in."
"What about Cartwright? Why isn't she in trouble?" asked Tommy.
"Catherine already knows exactly how much trouble she's in and what is going to happen to her," replied Roy. "It is against the law for anyone under eighteen to go into a saloon when it is open and that includes looking under the door. I am going to give each of you boys a whipping and then I'm going to find your Pas and let them deal with you."
"You can't whip us," said Tommy.
"Yes I can. You broke the law and I am completely within my authority to punish you anyway I see fit. William, bend over and hang onto this chair." Tommy tried to get free from Adam's grasp while Roy took his belt off and started using it on Billy's bottom. By the second lick, Billy was begging Roy to stop but he continued until he had given Billy five very hard licks. Then he took the crying boy and locked him in a cell. "Alright Thomas. It's your turn. Bend over and hang onto the chair." He gave Tommy the exact same punishment he had given Billy and locked him in the other cell.
"It's your turn Catherine," said Adam. "Take your pants down and bend over the chair."
"Not right now Adam," said Roy. "You are too angry and could hurt her badly. Go, have a beer and cool off. Cat can wait right here until you return. You know as well as I do that she's not going to leave here without permission."
After Adam walked out the door, Cat looked at Roy and asked, "Uncle Roy, can I please go to the outhouse and stop at the pump for a drink? I have to go real bad. Adam won't let me and I'll have an accident before we get home. I promise I'll come right back."
"I trust you Cat. Go and then come right back." Cat ran all the way to the outhouse, stopped at the pump for a dipper full of water and then walked back to Roy's office where she started pacing the floor. "You may as well sit down while you can. If I know Adam and your Pa, you'll be needing a pillow on your chair for several days. Now, please tell me what you were thinking of when you and those boys pulled that stunt."
"It wasn't my idea. They double dog dared me and called me a chicken and a coward. They said if I didn't do it, they were going to do something really bad and rip up my schoolwork and books and get me in a lot of trouble in school. They said they were going to do the same things to my friends too."
"Did you think about telling an adult?"
"No. I didn't think anyone would believe me, because they said I was adopted and a charity case and nobody ever believes anything charity cases and adopted kids says. I couldn't tell even if somebody would have believed me because they said they'd do the really bad thing if I did tell. Billy and Tommy are always causing trouble at school and getting other kids punished for what they do. They get caught some too and Miss. Winter sends a lot of notes home but I guess their parents don't care what they do. I know that they're going to tell their Pas it was all my fault and then I'm going to get a third whipping. I wish I was back in Dodge. Uncle Matt wouldn't believe it was my fault."
"Cat, I've known your Pa a long time and if you look him in the eye and tell the truth, he will believe you. He knows that you don't lie. So do Adam, Hoss, Little Joe, and myself. Don't ever be afraid to tell the truth." Adam returned a little while later and Roy asked, "Have you calmed down?"
"Yes I have Roy. Cat needs to be punished for what she did, but not to the point where she is seriously hurt. Now, Catherine, please tell me exactly why you were looking under the saloon door." Cat told Adam exactly what she had told Roy. "Why didn't you come to me, Pa, Hoss, or Little Joe? Any one of us would have put a stop to those boys' nonsense before it got this far."
"I didn't think anyone would believe me because they said I was adopted and a charity case and nobody ever believes anything charity cases that are adopted says. They're always causing trouble at school and getting other kids punished for what they do. Also, I couldn't tell even if somebody would have believed me because they said they'd do something really bad if I did tell. I'm afraid they're going to do it because we got caught."
"You are not a charity case and I'm sorry that you didn't think anyone would believe you Cat. I know that Roy would have. So would I, Pa, Hoss, and Little Joe. The next time you have a problem like this, don't try and solve it on your own. Tell one of us and let us handle it. That's our job. Now, what are you so afraid they're going to do and why didn't you try looking under the door at the Long Branch when you lived in Dodge?"
"I can't tell you what they said they'd do because they said do it if I told anyone. I did look under the Long Branch door a bunch of times during the day when I was looking for Uncle Matt but not at night. Even if I wanted to I couldn't. After Mark Hansen threatened to kill me when I was five, I was never alone in Uncle Matt's office after I went to bed. Someone was always in there. I tried to run away after I got punished for skipping school the first time, but Festus was there. Doc and Mr. Burke even took turns staying there with me. They kept doing it even after Mr. Hansen was sent to prison because Mark shot at me one day and almost hit Uncle Matt. Uncle Matt didn't trust Mark, even after his uncle came to stay with him."
"I understand why you did what you did tonight, but you are still in big trouble."
"Yes, I know. Pa's going to kill me."
"No, Pa isn't going to kill you, but you're going to have a very hard time sitting down for a long time."
"Adam, I'm going to let you take care of Cat while I go and try to find those two boys' fathers. I don't want to keep two fifteen year old boys locked in jail any longer than I have to. Do what you need to do, just don't be too hard on her and then take her home to your Pa. I'll ride out and talk to him tomorrow."
"Alright Roy. Thank you for taking care of Cat while I cooled down. I'll see you tomorrow." After Roy left his office, Adam stood up, took his belt off, sat down again and said, "Let's get this over with. It's late and I need to get you home. Pull your pants down and bend over the chair."
"You're not my Pa and you're not supposed to spank me or use your belt on my bare bottom."
"I don't care about what I am not supposed to do. Pa isn't here so that means I am in charge and I am going to give you a whipping you won't forget for a very long time. If you don't do as I told you to, you are going to be in a lot more trouble than you are now. Little Joe got away with too much when he was a boy and I'm going to make sure that doesn't happen with you." Cat did as she was told and Adam used his belt on her fifteen times. It hurt worse than any whipping she had ever gotten. She just kept telling herself that she was an Apache warrior and Apaches don't cry but she couldn't keep her tears from falling.
The door between Roy's office and the cells was open and the boys could hear Adam punishing Cat. They couldn't believe that she wasn't begging him to stop, especially because they had heard him tell her to pull down her pants. "Why do you suppose she isn't begging him to stop?" whispered Billy.
"I don't know," replied Tommy. "Maybe she'll get worse or more if she does. We'd better not talk too loud. Sheriff Coffee could hear us and give us another whipping. We need to figure out what to tell our Pas. Otherwise, we're really going to be in bad trouble."
"I know. Let's tell them it was all Cartwright's idea. We'll tell them that she brought a gun to school and threatened to shoot us if we didn't do what she said."
"Do you think they'll believe us?"
"I don't know, but we can try. We just have to hope that they don't take us out to the Ponderosa to talk to Mr. Cartwright. He'll know we're lying and then we'll get another whipping."
When Adam finished with Cat he told her to stand up and pull her pants up. "Where is your horse?" he asked.
"In the alley near the saloon."
"Alright, let's go. I'm taking you home and waking Pa to tell him what you did tonight." They walked over to the saloon and Adam told Cat to get Beauty. Instead of letting her mount him, Adam picked her up and put her on Sport then mounted in front of her.
"Let me ride my own horse Adam."
"No. This is part of your punishment. You are riding right where you are until we get home."
"That's not fair. I want to ride my own horse. I'm not a baby and don't need to ride double with you."
"Would you like to go over my knees?"
"No."
"No, what?"
"No sir. You're my brother, not my Pa. I don't have to say sir to you."
"Girl, you are very close to going over my knees. If I were you, I would stop arguing with me right now."
When they were part way back to the Ponderosa Cat asked, "Adam, can I ask you a question?"
"Of course you can. You can always ask me a question except when I'm sleeping. If you ask me a question when I'm sleeping, I'll probably be very grumpy. What do you want to know?"
"Why did you get so mad at me for looking under the saloon door?"
"Let me find someplace where we can sit and talk. Then I'll tell you why I was so angry and why Pa is also going to be angry with you."
"Do you have to tell Pa? He's going to kill me. Maybe I should just take Beauty, Lady and Fury and go to Uncle Rip. He'll be mad at me but he won't kill me."
Adam turned sideways in his saddle, put his arm around his sister and hugged her to him. "Pa isn't going to kill you, but he is going to punish you. Hoss, Joe and I did our share of not very bright things when we were boys and we're still alive."
"Yeah, but you're his real sons. I'm not his real daughter. I was his niece and he adopted me."
Adam found a tree that had fallen, rode over to it, dismounted and then helped Cat get off of Sport. He sat down and called her over to him. He pulled her pants down, turned her over his knees and gave her five hard smacks on her already sore bottom, then had her sit next to him. "That's for saying you're not my real sister. You are my real sister. Pa didn't have to adopt you when your mother died. He could have left you with Matt, Rip, or the Barkleys but he wanted you as his daughter. Hoss, Joe and I wanted you as our sister. You were born on the Ponderosa and that's where you belong. The next time I hear you say that you're not Pa's real daughter; I'm going to use my belt on your bare bottom again. Now pull your pants up.
The reason I was so angry about finding you looking under the saloon door is because saloons can be very dangerous places. Men drink and play cards in them. Some men don't handle their liquor very well and start fights. Men playing poker aren't always good losers, especially if they've been drinking. Sometimes they'll accuse another player of cheating and they'll start a gun fight. Bullets don't always go where someone thinks they're going to go. If someone had started shooting, you could have been killed even if you weren't in the saloon. The last thing any of us wants is to bury you next to your parents, especially when you're only nine years old. And yes, I have to tell Pa what you did. He needs to know that you put yourself in great danger. He's going to find out anyway, even if I don't tell him. Wouldn't you rather get your punishment out of the way now rather than worrying about when he's going to find out? Even if he doesn't find out until next week, he's still going to punish you. He'll also be very angry at me for not telling him tonight."
"Well, at least give me a few hours head start. I really don't want to get killed tonight."
Adam laughed. "Pa isn't going to kill you Cat. He will make it so that your bottom is very sore for a while but he isn't going to kill you. Also, if you run away, you will be in even more trouble when Pa finds you. Ask Little Joe. He's had lots of experience in that department and he'll be more than happy to tell you about his experiences. Now, it's very late and I have to get you home."
"Will you at least let me ride Beauty?"
"Nope. I told you that riding behind me is part of your punishment. And no, I am not going to let you sit on my saddle bags."
"That's not fair. I want to ride my horse."
"Catherine, this is the last time I am going to tell you to stop arguing with me. Riding behind me on Sport is part of your punishment. The next time you argue with me about riding in front of me, I am going to put you over my knees and use my belt on your bare bottom again. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"
"I'm telling Pa that you whipped me and spanked me when you're not supposed to. I want to ride my own horse."
"I told you to stop arguing with me." he asked pulling her pants down, turning her back over his knees and giving her five more hard smacks with his hand. "Now are you done arguing with me?"
"Yes."
Cat sighed. Her bottom really hurt bad. It wasn't fair. Adam was her brother and she shouldn't have to say sir to him.
"Yes, what?"
"Yes sir."
"That's better. Now, are you done arguing with me or would you like to spend more time across my knees?"
Cat sighed again. "Yeah, I'm done arguing with you for now."
"What have you been told about being respectful to adults, including myself?" he asked, giving her another five smacks. "We can do this all night if you want to. Then your bottom won't have time to rest before Pa deals with you in the morning. Now, are you through arguing with me?"
"Yes, I'm done."
"Good. Now we need to get you home. Pull your pants up." Cat started to mount Beauty when Adam picked her up and put her on Sport. "I told you, riding behind me on Sport is part of your punishment. Now, you can ride here quietly or we can go back to the tree again. What is it going to be, riding here or go back to the tree?"
"I'll ride here but it still isn't fair and I'm telling Pa that you were mean to me."
It was all Adam could do to keep from laughing at his sister. "No Cat, it never seems fair when you're the one being punished. It's designed to teach you a lesson and I can guarantee that by the time Pa is finished with you, you will have learned your lesson very well and will never try and look or go into a saloon again unless it's an emergency." When they reached the yard, he took Cat down off his saddle and said, "Take care of your horse and use the outhouse. Then I'm taking you to Pa."
"Adam, please don't take me to Pa. I don't want another whipping. My bottom hurts real bad and it will hurt a lot more when Pa finishes with me. I'll be eighteen before I can sit down again."
"Sorry Cat. You brought this on yourself. Now, take care of your horse, use the outhouse and let's go. I need to take you to Pa and I want to get some sleep."
Cat looked at Beauty and said, "At least give me a couple hours head start. I just know that Pa is going to kill me."
"Girl, if I have to tell you what to do one more time, we're going to spend some time in the barn before I take you to Pa. Now, take care of your horse, use the outhouse and come right back to me!"
Cat walked away from Adam and mumbled to her puppies, "I wish it had been Little Joe that caught me. He wouldn't have whipped and spanked me and taken me to Pa. Or at least I don't think he would have. It's a good thing Hoss won't be home from Carson City until tomorrow or he'd tell Pa that he caught me out riding late on Tuesday. Then Pa really would kill me." She put Beauty in his stall hugged and kissed Fury and Lady, then went to use the outhouse. By the time she returned to the barn, Adam had taken care of Sport and was waiting for her.
They walked into the house. Adam locked the door behind them, took Cat upstairs to their father's room and knocked on the door. It took a few minutes before Ben opened the door. When he did, he was surprised to see his eldest son holding his daughter by the back of her shirt. "What is going on Adam? Why is Catherine out of bed and dressed at this time of night?
"I caught her, Thomas Roberts and William Davis looking under the door at the Bucket of Blood."
"Catherine, is this true?"
Cat looked down at her feet and mumbled, "Yes."
"Look at me and answer properly when I ask you a question. Is what Adam said true?"
"Yes sir."
"You are in very serious trouble young lady. We will discuss this more in the morning. Go to bed and I do not want to see you out of your room before it is time to do chores. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"
"Yes sir." As she turned to go, Cat kicked Adam in the shins as hard as she could and said, "I hate you and I hope I never see you again forever!" then walked to her room and slammed the door behind her.
"What did you do to her? Why did she kick you and say she hates you?"
"She only got half of what she deserved. I gave her fifteen with my belt on her bare bottom in Roy's office. Then on the way home, she got another fifteen with my hand on her bare bottom. I also made her ride home in behind me on Sport and wouldn't let her sit on my saddle bags. So she's pretty sore right now."
"Adam, you have not even been given permission to spank her on the seat of her pants, let alone use your belt or hand on her bare bottom. You have been told many times in the last three months that you are to bring her to me if she needs more than a few swats. I am trying to give her time to adjust to being part of a family and you are not helping her to adjust. I can't believe I just heard you say that you gave her thirty on her bare bottom and you think you should have given her another thirty. What are you thinking son? Catherine is only nine years old."
"She deliberately put herself in danger."
"There have been many times over the years when you and your brothers have deliberately put yourselves in danger but I never treated you the way you treated your sister tonight."
Adam tried to justify his actions. "That was different. We were boys and boys are supposed to do things like that. Girls are not."
"I don't understand you son. Neither boys nor girls are supposed to intentionally put themselves in danger. I thought that was made perfectly clear to all of the children on the wagon train when we were coming out west. I can remember times when some of the boys, including you, did just that and were punished for it. However, none of you were punished as severely as you punished your sister tonight."
"You should know that what she did tonight wasn't completely her fault."
"What do you mean?"
"It seems that the boys bullied her into it. They double dog dared her and they called her a chicken and a coward. They also threatened to rip up her schoolwork and books and to get her into as much trouble in school as they could and they said they'd do the same things to her friends. Cat says that they are very good at doing things and getting other students punished for their misdeeds. Apparently their fathers don't care because Susan Winter has sent many notes home but the boys still don't behave."
"Why didn't she come to one of us?"
"Because she didn't think anyone would believe her. They told her that she was adopted and a charity case and nobody ever believes anything charity cases say. Also, she said that they said they would do something very bad if she told anyone. She wouldn't tell me or Roy what they threatened to do because she's afraid they'll still do it."
"So you're telling me that your sister was coerced into doing something wrong and instead of tying to find out what she was threatened with, you decided to punish her. I can't believe you did that. I never punished any of you boys when you had been forced to do something against your will. I am very disappointed son. You were entirely too hard on Catherine and you know it. Your sister is only nine years old. We'll talk more about it tomorrow, but even when you were seventeen and got arrested for being drunk and breaking up the Bucket of Blood, you got ten on the seat of your pants in Roy's office and another ten on your bare bottom when we got home and that was three days later because I left you in that cell. Thirty was way overboard. No matter what you boys did, the most you ever got was ten. I wouldn't want to be in your boots when Hoss catches up with you tomorrow. You know how he feels about you being too hard on your sister. It's going to take all I have to keep him from killing you. I'm going back to bed. Tomorrow isn't going to be any easier on me than it will be on your sister."
"There's one more thing you need to know."
"Now what?"
"Cat is certain that the boys are going to try and blame her for what happened tonight and I agree. Roy whipped the boys and locked each of them in a cell. I could hear some of what they were saying and it sounded to me like they were going to say it was all Cat's idea."
"Great. Their fathers are friends of mine and I may have to tell them that their sons are liars."
"I'm sure you'll think of something. I'm going to bed. It's been a long day. Goodnight Pa."
"Goodnight Adam. Tomorrow you and I are going to discuss how you handled your sister tonight. I am not at all pleased by what you did to her."
Joe woke up when Adam knocked on their father's bedroom door and opened his door wide enough to see his oldest brother holding their sister by the back of her shirt. After listening to Adam and Ben talk, he decided that his little sister needed a shoulder to cry on but first he needed to deal with his oldest brother. As soon as Ben closed his bedroom door, Joe left his bedroom, walked up to Adam and hit him as hard as he could, knocking his brother off balance. "I heard you say what you did to Cat and I'm not going to wait for Hoss to come home. I'm going to kill you myself right now," and hit his brother again.
Ben heard the noise outside his bedroom door, opened it, saw Joe hit Adam and said forcefully, "Joseph, stop that right now! I will not tolerate you fighting with your brother!"
"I'm going to kill him for what he did to Cat." He looked at his brother and said, "You always felt that Pa let me get away with too much, so you decided that you're going to make sure Cat doesn't get away with anything no matter what you have to do to her. Isn't that right older brother? I'm going to kill you. If Hoss is lucky, I'll leave a little bit for him to beat on too."
"That is enough of that talk Joseph! You are not going to kill your brother and neither is Hoss! I will talk with Adam about his attitude toward Catherine in the morning. Right now, everyone needs to get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long, difficult day. Now go to bed, both of you!"
Joe walked into his bedroom and waited until his father and brother were in theirs. Then he went to Cat's room, opened the door and whispered, "Cat, are you still awake?"
"Yes," came the reply.
Cat was sitting on the edge of her bed. Joe walked over, sat down next to her, wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "Oh Cat, what have you done?"
"Adam caught me, Billy and Tommy looking under the door at the Bucket of Blood." She hugged her brother, started crying, and said, "Oh Joe. I'm afraid. Pa's going to kill me tomorrow and I don't know what to do. I guess I should leave and go back to Uncle Matt. He'll be mad at me, but he won't kill me."
"Pa is very angry with you and rightly so, but he's not going to kill you. He will probably punish you but he won't be anywhere near as hard on you as Adam was. You put yourself in danger tonight. Why didn't you come to me? I would have helped you."
"I didn't think anyone would believe me because they said I was a charity case and adopted and nobody ever believes anything charity cases and adopted kids says. Also, they said they were going to do something really bad if I told anyone."
"Now, that's just plain foolish talk. You and I have always been close. Remember, you were my tenth birthday gift from your parents. I got to hold you before your father did. Why wouldn't I believe you? What did they say they were going to do? Now you're in big trouble and there's nothing I can do to get you out of it. I can try to make it a little easier for you. I'll tell Hop Sing what happened in the morning and he'll put a cushion on your chair. If Pa and Adam aren't around, I'll help you with whatever extra chores you get, but I won't be able to get you out of being punished. You have got to start trusting us to take care of you and do what is right for you. You should know by now that I would never let anything bad happen to you."
"I can't tell you what they said they were going to do. I'm afraid they'll still do it because Adam caught us. He was real mean to me and game me thirty. He gave me fifteen with his belt on my bare bottom in the middle of Uncle Roy's office and fifteen on my bare bottom with his hand on the way home. I got five for saying I wasn't Pa's real daughter, five for arguing with him because I didn't want to ride double with him and five for being disrespectful because I wouldn't say sir to him. He also made me ride home behind him on Sport, trotted all the way home, and wouldn't let me sit on his saddle bags. It hurts real bad Joe. He said he did it because Pa wasn't hard enough on you when you were a boy and he was going to make sure it didn't happen with me. If Pa's going to give me more than Adam did, I'm going to leave tonight. I'll go to Uncle Matt, Uncle Rip, or the Apaches."
"No, Pa isn't going to give you anywhere near thirty. Since Adam was so hard on you tonight, he probably won't spank you. You may have to spend some time standing in the corner and have to do extra chores and then again, Pa may decide that what Adam did to you was more than enough. Hoss will be home tomorrow. It sounds like he and I need to have a talk with older brother. He was way too hard on you and needs to know it. Hoss and I will make sure that he's never that hard on you again. Adam may argue with me because he's bigger than I am, but he won't argue with Hoss or try to push him around. Now, you need to stop worrying and get some sleep. Pa isn't going to kill you. Even if he wanted to, which he doesn't, we wouldn't let him and neither would the hands."
"But what will I do if Billy and Tommy and their Pas show up here and say that I made them do it? Pa will believe them and I'll get another whipping."
"No, Pa won't believe them. He knows you don't lie and so does everyone else on this ranch. If they show up, I'll straighten them out. Now, go to sleep and stop worrying. Don't worry about doing your chores in the morning. You need the sleep, so I'll do them for you. Pa may get angry with me but that's my problem." Joe kissed Cat on her forehead, hugged her tightly, motioned for Silver Chief and Lassie to get on the bed next to her, and said, "I love you little sister. So does everyone else in this family. Don't you ever forget it."
He walked out of Cat's room and was surprised to see his father standing in the hallway. "How is she?"
"She's very sore, tired and scared to death that you're going to kill her. Adam was entirely too hard on her. He told her that it was because you were too easy on me when I was a boy and he was going to make sure it didn't happen with her. I don't care what she did; she didn't deserve thirty and being made to ride behind him on his saddle. She especially didn't deserve five for saying you weren't her real Pa and another five for not saying sir to him. He's not her Pa and she shouldn't have to say sir to him and he shouldn't be using his belt and spanking her on her bare bottom. Unless you told Adam something different, as far as I know, we're not even allowed to spank her on the seat of her pants, let alone use a belt on her bare bottom. She's only been here three months and I know that some of the kids at school have been teasing her about being adopted. Cat is positive that those boys and their fathers are going to show up here tomorrow and say that what happened tonight was all her fault. She's afraid you'll believe them and she'll get another whipping. I'm going to do her chores in the morning so she can get a little more sleep and I don't care what you or Adam has to say about it!"
"Go ahead and do her chores. She can use the extra sleep. I agree. Adam was entirely too hard on her and I intend to have a talk with him about it. I am extremely upset with him for doing that to your sister because he felt I wasn't hard enough on you when you were a boy. We have talked about that before. Go on back to bed. I'm going to sit with her for a few minutes and try to convince her how much I love here and that I will not believe those boys if they say tonight was her idea. In fact, before you go back to bed, please go down to the kitchen and see if Hop Sing has any of that burn cream he makes. If he does, I'll use some on her to help ease the pain."