At the hotel the next morning

Shane's pov

Nigel and I meet over coffee while the girls sleep, to discuss the best course of action for dealing with our disobedient daughters. We decide to let them sleep as long as possible without making us late for the funeral, knowing they could use the extra time to fully sober up.

We agree that we'll wait until after the service and luncheon to discipline the girls for three reasons. Most importantly, out of respect for Aunt Fay. We don't want to draw focus away from the purpose of this trip, remembering and honoring the very special woman who touched our lives. Secondly, both Nigel and I are still extremely upset over the girls' misbehavior, hence we need more time to calm down so as not to unfairly punish the girls out of anger. Lastly, we figure the extra time the girls will have anxiously anticipating, nay dreading their upcoming punishments is well deserved.

Putting the events of last night aside, the four of us attend Aunt Fay's funeral, focusing only on paying our respects and honoring her life. I came to find out over drinks with Nigel yesterday that Aunt Fay graciously took Ava and her mother Emily in shortly after Ava was born. It's quite the dramatic tale involving a faked abortion, illegal drug trafficking, and betrayal between step brothers. Point being, Fay played an important part in Nigel's and Ava's lives as well as my own.

After the luncheon, we return to the hotel and sit the girls down so Nigel and I can voice our mutual concerns about last night before we dole out their punishments individually. Carrie looks appropriately nervous but Ava appears largely unconcerned. It's clear to me from witnessing some of their interactions that Ava has Nigel wrapped around her little finger due to his overwhelming, albeit inappropriate guilt over his absence during the first ten years of her life. Even though the circumstances were beyond his control, he still blames himself for not being there for his little girl.

I decide to start things off.

"We're extremely disappointed in the two of you. Sneaking into a club and drinking, plus you broke both of the rules we agreed upon. You didn't stay in your room after swimming and you certainly weren't asleep by 11pm. Were you?" I raise one eyebrow, cross my arms over my chest, and shoot them a chilly look before continuing.

"What you two girls did last night was not only reckless, but extremely dangerous as well. Even though things turned out okay, you put yourselves in a potentially disastrous situation and then added alcohol to the mix to further lower your inhibitions and cloud your judgment."

I'm becoming more incensed picturing how badly things could have ended last night due to their carelessness and disobedience.

"THEY WERE GROWN MEN, FOR CHRISSAKE. WHAT DID YOU THINK THEY WERE GOING TO DO TO YOU IF YOU LEFT THE CLUB WITH THEM? WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING, PUTTING YOURSELVES IN HARM'S WAY LIKE THAT?"

Nigel and the girls appear to be shocked silent by my angry outburst. I honestly didn't intend to lose my temper but flashing back to that man's hand on Ava's thigh and Carrie sitting there frightened and in tears in that booth next to his friend with his arm around her, has my blood boiling.

"DAMMIT, CARRIE ANNE, ANSWER ME!" Hands on my hips, I glare at my youngest.

She should know by now, my questions aren't rhetorical. I'm going to demand she voice out loud the potential repercussions that could have stemmed from the extremely poor choices they made last night.

"I'm sorry, Shane. We didn't mean for anything to happen and then things got out of control..." My heart aches as Carrie breaks down in tears, sobbing uncontrollably. Her breath hitching between words. "That's why I called you, Shane."

I pull my baby girl into my arms as her tears continue to fall.

"Shhhh, I need you to calm down, luv," I say softly, swaying her back and forth. Once she's stopped sobbing and settled down, I pull away from her and wipe the stray tears from her face. "Calling me was the one smart decision you made last night."

Carrie avoids looking me in the eyes until I lift her chin.

"I need you to tell me what could have happened, Carrie, if things had turned out differently, if Nigel and I hadn't gotten there in time, if you had left with those men."

She lowers her gaze and shakes her head.

"No, I don't want to," she whispers sadly.

Gripping her chin firmly now, I say, "You don't have a choice, luv." It's important she realizes the magnitude of the consequences which could have resulted from their carelessness. The best way to do that is by voicing it out loud, facing it head-on as a genuine possibility, versus an unlikely imaginary one.

"They could have hurt us or even raped us," Carrie admits reluctantly, starting to choke up again from overwhelming emotion.

Nigel and I both notice Ava's shocked look in response to Carrie mentioning rape.

"Did that possibility seriously never cross your mind, Ava?" Nigel stands before his daughter, confronting her.

"Nothing would have happened, Daddy. They were nice guys. No need to be dramatic."

For the first time in six years, it's becoming quite clear to Nigel that he hasn't been doing his daughter any favors by going easy on her and not enforcing consequences for her misbehavior, due to his guilty conscience.

"Shane and Carrie, would you kindly excuse us? Ava and I need to have a long overdue talk."

"Absolutely, Nigel, that'll give me a chance to address and correct my daughter in private as well." I hear Carrie swallow hard, fearing what comes next.

Nigel's pov

I take Ava into the other room, through the connecting door.

"Sit down, sweetheart. We need to have a serious talk."

Ava takes a seat on the bed, still seemingly oblivious to the seriousness of last night's events.

Shane told me yesterday how he and Mike discipline their girls and I'm honestly considering spanking Ava today. Shane and I were both brought up that way, often finding ourselves over our father's knee or being paddled or caned at boarding school. I've just never been able to be that strict with Ava or that harsh with her punishments.

I still feel guilty for not being there for the first ten years of her life, even though I didn't know she existed before that point. She had a pretty rough go of it for the four years between her time with Fay and when I took her in. Her mom had a pretty nasty drug addiction and I shudder to think of Ava's living conditions during that time.

That's all in the past though, so I have to focus on what's best for Ava now and hearing how blase she was about the dangerous situation she put herself and Carrie in last night was definitely a wake-up call.

"Ava, I need you to understand the gravity of the situation you and Carrie found yourselves..." I correct myself, "No, the situation you PUT yourselves into by breaking the rules Shane and I had in place to keep you safe."

"Daddy, I told you it was no big deal." Ava's texting without a care in the world.

"AVA, IT IS A BIG DEAL!" I shout, pounding my fists down on the little table in our room. Ava flinches at the loud noise. I grab the chair out from under the table and slam it down near the door. Taking a seat, I sternly say, "Ava, come here and give me your phone."

She hesitates, most likely taken off guard by my authoritative demeanour.

"NOW, AVA!"

When she hands me her phone, I grab hold of her wrist and garnering my nerve say, "Lie across my lap, Ava."

"Daddy, no!" Ava shakes her head as she tries to pull away from me.

"Ava, lie across my lap," I repeat calmly but firmly, tightening my hold on her wrist and grasping her elbow to help lead her.

"Daddy, please," she pleads, with tears in her eyes. "Please don't hurt me, Daddy, I promise I'll be good. Please, Daddy."

I feel a tightening in my chest as my heart aches hearing my daughter's pleas. She sticks her bottom lip out pouting so adorably, knowing how often it crumbles my resolve. No, not this time, I tell myself. Not when my baby girl's safety is at stake. That man's hand groping Ava's thigh, flashes through my mind, giving me the courage to go through with this punishment.

Pulling Ava over my lap, I lift her skirt up and secure my left arm around her waist, holding her in place as I raise my right hand high and slap it down on her upturned bottom. I continue to lay down hard spank after spank on her lavender panties, seeing the pale skin of her upper thighs first blush pink before shading a hot inflamed red.

Ava continues her futile pleas, "Daddy, please stop. Ow owie, Daddy, it hurts. Please stop, Daddy, please." Hearing her sob as she clutches my pant leg and kicks her feet, has me wanting to stop the punishment so I can hold my sweet girl in my arms and comfort her, kissing her tears away. I really hate being the one causing her pain but I know it's worth it if it ultimately keeps my baby safe by teaching her a valuable lesson.

"Stop kicking please, Ava. Your punishment is almost done." I spank the part of her bottom peeking out from beneath her panties. She continues to kick her legs up and tries reaching back to protect her bum so I hold her wrists against the small of her back and tuck her legs under mine.

"No, Daddy, you stop. Why are you doing this?" she cries.

How do I tell her it's my fault she's so naive and trusting since I've failed to enforce consequences and spoiled her terribly by giving in to her every whim and sheltering her from the harsh realities of the world?

"You need to understand I put rules in place to protect you and keep you safe, more importantly you have to learn there are consequences for breaking those rules. What you did last night could've resulted in you or Carrie being hurt and that's unacceptable."

"Please don't spank me anymore, Daddy. I promise I'll follow the rules."

"Just ten more, sweetheart. I want you to count them for me. Ok?"

"Okay, Daddy," she practically whispers, through her tears.

I don't know how Shane can possibly spank his girls multiple times. I'm a basket case here. I hope I never have to spank Ava again. Taking a deep breath and telling myself this is for the greater good, I start the last ten by delivering a harsh slap to her right buttcheek.

"One, Daddy." Ava grips my leg tightly.

I spank her left cheek firmly with my open hand.

"Ow, two, Daddy," she sniffles, as she cries.

I finish the rest of her spanking with eight more painful slaps as Ava obediently continues to count. After I hear Ava say, "Ten, Daddy," I stand her in front of me between my knees and brush the falling tears from her cheeks.

"Do you know why I spanked you, sweetheart?"

Ava nods sadly.

"Ava, I spanked you tonight because I couldn't live with myself if you ever got hurt due to my failure to protect you and keep you safe. I love you too much to let that happen, so if getting a spanking is necessary to get you to follow the rules, then no matter how much I dislike it, that's what I'll have to do. Can you understand that, luv?"

"Yes, Daddy," Ava sniffled, trying unsuccessfully to stop crying. The pain of her first spanking, the disappointment in her father's eyes, and the sadness surrounding the events of the day were just too much for her.

Standing and taking her in my arms, I whispered in her ear, "I love you, baby girl," as I rubbed her back, soothing and comforting my sweet daughter.

Meanwhile in the adjoining room

Shane's pov

By the sound of things, Nigel has wasted no time getting Ava over his knee to deliver her much needed discipline. Normally, I would do the same but when it comes to punishing Carrie, the situation always seems more complicated. Thinking of how horribly things could have ended last night for my sweet innocent daughter, makes me shudder.

Carrie's sitting on the bed crying and I haven't even said or done anything yet. I stand before her, arms crossed, eyes narrowed, ready to confront my youngest daughter about her reckless choices last night.

"Carrie, look at me."

"I'm so sorry, Shane." Carrie's shoulders shake as she starts sobbing now.

Shaking my head and sighing, I think to myself this is going to be even more difficult than I originally thought.

"Carrie, come here, luv." I motion for her to come into my open arms and when she does, I hug her tightly saying, "I know you're sorry, sweetheart, but you put yourself in harm's way last night because you broke the rules and I cannot and will not let that go unpunished." I break our embrace and force Carrie to look me in the eyes. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir," Carrie says respectfully.

Thankfully, she almost never fights her punishments or mouths off to Mike or myself. I think that's what makes this such a laborious chore.

"Ensuring your safety will always be of paramount importance to me, Carrie, and for that reason..."

Carrie's eyes widen when she sees me unbuckle my belt.

"...you're going to get twelve strokes with my belt as punishment for your misbehavior last night." I never thought I'd have to say these words to Carrie, "Bend over the bed."

Carrie immediately obliges so I muster the courage to dole out this punishment.

"Tell me why you're receiving this spanking with my belt."

"Because I broke the rules and jeopardized my safety and Ava's as well."

"That's correct. If you hadn't made the wise choice and called me to pick you and Ava up, you'd be getting double. Before I begin, it's important you don't reach back, luv, so I don't hit your hands. Understand? "

"Yes sir, I understand."

"Alright, let's begin." I rest my left hand on Carrie's back before bringing the belt down across the middle of her bottom, causing her to lurch forward. I slap my belt down again with more force this time, eliciting a squeak from Carrie. I continue the spanking until she reaches back after the sixth stroke. I slap her hand away and smack her bottom firmly and quickly with my hand five times.

"What did I tell you about reaching back?" I ask sternly.

"I'm sorry, Shane, I couldn't help it. It just hurts so much."

"Do not do it again, Carrie." I stripe strokes seven, eight and nine across her sit spots. Seeing her sob into my comforter, I want nothing more than to end this punishment and embrace her but when I think about what could have happened if they left the club with those men, I regain my nerve to carry on.

"I want you to count the last three followed by, I'm sorry I put myself in a dangerous situation sir."

These last three are all going to be on her upper thighs, each one harsher than the last. Hopefully this belting will keep Carrie from doing something so reckless ever again. I slap my belt across her thighs.

"Ten, I'm sorry I put myself in a dangerous situation, sir."

After the eleventh stroke, Carrie reaches back again. Taking pity on my youngest daughter, I hold her wrists against her back instead of giving her extra swats with my hand. Now it's time for the final and harshest one. I crack my belt across her thighs, the severity of the stroke evident in the sound echoing off the walls.

It takes Carrie a minute to get the words out as she's choking up.

"Twelve, I'm sorry I put myself in a dangerous situation, sir," she manages to squeak out, amidst her shallow breaths.

"Stand and face me, Carrie."

Carrie stands before me, looking down at the floor, tears streaming down her face. I reach around and smack her bottom firmly.

"Ow!" Carrie rubs her stinging bottom.

"You should know to look at me, Carrie, when I tell you to face me. Don't make me remind you again."

"Yes sir." Carrie continues to rub.

"Your punishment isn't over yet, luv."

Carrie's face pales and her knees buckle as more tears well in her eyes.

I hold her close, cradling her in my arms, comforting her, before saying, "When we get home, YOU'RE going to tell Mike in great detail what you did last night."