Stacey's pov

Shane and I went to Mike's room to wait for him.

When Mike walked in, he pointed to his bed and sternly said, "Sit down, Stacey." I gingerly sat down on my smarting backside. "Where's your phone?" he asked.

"In my purse. Why?" I pointed to his desk where I had set it down when Shane and I walked in. Mike started searching through my purse. "You come home thirty-two minutes late and you seriously wonder why I'm taking your phone?" Mike continued digging through my purse. "What the Hell is this, Stacey Marie?"

My heart skipped a beat as I looked up and saw Mike holding my birth control pills in his hand. Shit, I know damn well he knows exactly what that is, I mean he's a doctor for chrissake. I bit my bottom lip and looked intently at the floor, unwilling to face Mike's angry glare.

"Are you having sex with that boy, Stacey?" Mike looked both shocked and furious at the same time.

I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to lie to Mike but I sure as Hell didn't want to tell the truth either, so I did the next best thing and looked at my feet while saying nothing.

"Answer me, Stacey Marie!" Mike was quickly losing his patience.

Without looking up, I softly replied, "Yes."

"WHAT THE HELL IS THE MATTER WITH YOU? YOU'RE SEVENTEEN YEARS OLD, STACEY, YOU HAVE NO BUSINESS HAVING SEX. YOU ARE STILL A MINOR UNDER MY CARE AND I'LL BE DAMNED IF I'M GOING TO ALLOW YOU TO CONTINUE THIS KIND OF RECKLESS BEHAVIOR." Mike slammed my packet of birth control pills down on his desk.

"It's my body, I should be able to do what I want." I don't know where the confidence to speak that way came from but judging by the look on Mike's face, I'm definitely going to regret saying it.

Mike turned around in a flash.

"That's where you're wrong, young lady. Until you are on your own and able to support yourself, you are my responsibility and that includes making sure you take care of yourself physically, emotionally, and spiritually so until that day comes, you are not allowed anywhere near that boy. He's been nothing but trouble since you laid eyes on him."

I shook my head in disbelief, "I'm not going to stop seeing him and if we want to have sex you're not going to stand in our way." I was on my feet now and my cheeks were flushed with anger.

"Whom the Hell do you think you're speaking to, young lady? How dare you tell me no." Mike was fuming.

"At least we're using protection and this wasn't just some spur of the moment decision made due to teenage hormones. I went to Dr. Evans and we had several private sessions to discuss my feelings. When I was ready to be with Sean, she took me to one of her colleagues who's a gynecologist and she examined me before prescribing birth control pills. Sean also got tested for stds including hiv not once but twice, three months apart, before we started having sex and I still make him use condoms. So don't stand here, Mike, and tell me how reckless we're being or accuse me of not thinking this through because that's not only insulting, it's simply not true." My heart was beating a million miles a minute right now as I waited to see how Mike was going to respond.

Mike shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair, taking some deep slow breaths inbetween.

"I can't...I just don't know...This is just too much to deal with right now," Mike stammered, clearly he was frustrated and having immense difficulty putting together a coherent train of thought.

"My cousin was right, you're not only unreasonable but completely incapable of entertaining anyone else's viewpoint, if it opposes your own," I brazenly stated to Mike.

"Your cousin said that?" Mike questioned me, even though he knew the answer.

I nodded hesitantly, afraid that now I'd gotten Julie into trouble.

"I'll have to address that with her later," Mike said more to himself than to me or Shane.

"Why don't we all take a break and call it a night? I'll phone Dr. Evans and set up an emergency session for the three of us at her earliest convenience." Shane stepped in, trying to be the voice of reason.

"Fine by me," I said arrogantly, as I picked up my birth control and my purse before strolling confidently out Mike's door.

The next day

Shane's pov

As soon as Stacey arrived home from school, Mike drove us over to Dr. Evans's office for our requested session. I was hoping we could all have a calm rational discussion but as soon as we arrived, Mike laid into Marlena.

"You overstepped your bounds, Marlena! How dare you take her to a gynecologist to start her on oral contraceptives without consulting us. We are her guardians, not you!" Mike was livid and he clearly didn't have his temper under control. He kicked one of the chairs over in her office and turned his back to Marlena as he stood fuming, hands on his hips.

Ever the consummate professional, Dr. Evans maintained her cool and politely requested, "Stacey, would you mind waiting out in the lobby? I'd like a few moments alone with your guardians."

Stacey nodded and quickly left Marlena's office, closing the door on her way out.

"Mike, I understand you're upset but you've been telling her since day one that she could come to me if she needed a woman to talk to and this was one of those instances. Please sit down so we can discuss this rationally and calmly," Marlena spoke in a level soothing tone of voice which seemed to assist in disarming Mike's anger.

"I'll sit but I can't guarantee I'll be calm." Taking a seat, Mike held his face in his hands before sadly looking up at Marlena. "She's my little girl, Marlena, and she always will be. This can't be happening. She's too young for this."

"I know it's difficult for you and Shane to see your girls facing some very adult situations but you have to trust that you've raised them with the proper tools to make informed decisions while anticipating the consequences." Marlena sat next to Mike, resting her hand gently on his knee. "I know you don't agree with Stacey's decision to be sexually active but you should be proud of how maturely she came to that conclusion. Most girls her age wouldn't have put nearly as much thought into it or handled it so responsibly."

"But, Marlena, she's just a child. I cannot allow her to engage in such reckless behavior. Even if they're taking precautions to prevent stds and pregnancy, there are still risks involved. How can she possibly be equipped to deal with all the emotional components that coincide with being in a physically intimate relationship? She's just not ready. She can't be."

"Mike, when I call Stacey back in here, I want you to look at her as if you'd never met her before. I want you to see her as the world sees her, as a beautiful young woman." Marlena gave him a reassuring pat on the arm.

"I don't know, Marlena, I'll try but she'll always be my baby girl and as long as she's under my care, I can't in good conscience support her decision to have sex with Sean or anyone else for that matter." Mike spoke much more calmly now.

"As long as you're willing to try, Mike, I'll consider that progress." Marlena gave Mike a warm, sincere smile before turning her attention to me. "Shane, tell me how you feel about Sean and Stacey's relationship."

I appreciated the fact that Marlena didn't let on to Mike we'd already discussed my feelings regarding Stacey's relationship with Sean over the course of several private sessions. I don't think Mike would ever be able to forgive me for keeping a secret like this if he knew how much time had passed since my suspicions regarding Stacey having a boyfriend were confirmed. Mike's not only like a brother to me, he's my best friend and I couldn't bear it if the bond between us was ever severed.

"Well," I paused, trying to collect my thoughts so I wouldn't slip up and tip off Mike, "Although I'd prefer that she not start dating until she's thirty, I am proud of her for having the good sense to discuss this with you first, Marlena, and for the fact that she's taking measures to protect herself." Turning my attention to Mike, I cautiously said, "Believe me, Mike, I know how difficult it is to view Stacey or any of our girls, for that matter, as the young adults they are but you've done an amazing job raising them and I know without a shadow of a doubt, they're all going to be upstanding citizens with a solid moral compass to guide them through life."

"I don't understand how you're not more incensed by this, Shane. How can you be so calm?" Mike stood, loosened his tie, and began pacing the floor of Marlena's office. "I mean, how do you know they're gonna be okay? I know soon we're going to have to let them go but I don't think I'll ever stop worrying about them or trying to guide them as they navigate life's difficult paths."

The sadness in Mike's voice just about broke my heart.

"They'll always be my little girls, our little girls, you know." Mike turned away from Marlena and I but not before I saw a tear slip down his cheek.

I walked over to where Mike stood and faced him, holding him by the shoulders.

"Hey," I waited until Mike looked me in the eyes, "I would lay down my life to keep them safe as well but at some point we're going to have to let them out from under our protective thumbs to face the challenges of the real world." I squeezed Mike's shoulder reassuringly. "And when we do, we have to trust them to make the right decisions."

Pulling away from me, Mike said, "Yeah, but she's not making the right decisions when it comes to this boy." Mike laced his fingers behind his head as he looked at the ceiling, deep in thought. Sighing, he turned towards us. "As long as she's under our care, I won't allow her to see him anymore. It's that simple, I forbid it."

I rubbed the back of my neck and took a deep breath. This is going to be more difficult than I thought if Mike's unwilling to take a more realistic approach to handling this situation.

Mike walked out of Marlena's office.

"We're done here, Stacey. You're never going to see that boy again. I won't allow it. End of story." Grabbing Stacey by the arm, Mike pulled her out of her seat and looked at me as he said, "Let's go, we're leaving."

I said goodbye to Marlena, promising her I'd try to reason with Mike, before rushing out the door to catch up with them. Mike dragged Stacey to the car and practically threw her in the backseat.

"If I hear one word out of your mouth, Stacey Marie, you and I will be having a very long and thorough discussion with my thick leather belt when we get home."

"Mike, please, we need to discuss this," I pleaded with my best mate.

"There's nothing more to discuss, Shane."

We spent the remainder of the drive home in angry silence. Once back at the Center, I pulled Stacey aside while Mike headed over to the girls' room.

"Is he serious, Shane? He thinks he can forbid me from seeing Sean?" Stacey was still in shock over Mike's proclamation.

"Don't worry, Stacey, I'll talk to him when he calms down. He's just too upset to reason with right now."

The girls' room

Julie's pov

"I'd like a word with you, young lady," Mike said sternly.

It took me a minute to realize Mike was glaring at me as I laid on my stomach, reading on my bed and minding my own business. Apparently, I was the cause of his current unpleasant mood. I hadn't done anything to piss him off since he whipped my butt yesterday so I was at a loss as to what could have prompted this upcoming chat.

"What did I do?" I asked, turning on my side to face Mike.

"Your cousin informed me that you think I'm not only unreasonable, but incapable of entertaining anyone's viewpoints that don't align with my own."

"Oh," I said timidly, knowing now, this wasn't a case of mistaken identity. I'm gonna fuckin' kill Stacey next time I see her.

"If you're upset with me or have a problem with the way I handled a situation, I would appreciate you coming to me directly to discuss it, instead of disrespecting me by disparaging me to your cousin. Am I clear?" Mike narrowed his eyes even further at me as he spoke.

"So now I'm not even allowed to voice my opinions to my cousin, without being in trouble?" Unfortunately for my still sore behind, I wasn't willing to acquiesce and apologize to Mike without putting up a fight.

"Girls, make yourselves scarce." Mike shot Carrie and Lisa a look they knew all too well. "I need a minute or two alone with your sister." Mike grabbed my desk chair and set it down next to my bed, removing his tie and rolling up the sleeves of his dress shirt, he straddled it backwards.

Carrie and Lisa quickly left, knowing what would likely happen if they resisted Mike's order. Now alone with him, I wasn't feeling quite so brave but I still felt compelled to resist Mike's discipline. "You're not seriously going to punish me for talking to my cousin, are you?"

"No, of course not, that would be ludicrous." Mike stood up and unbuckled his belt. "I am, however, going to punish you for being disrespectful."

"Unbelievable," I muttered a little too loudly.

"No, what's unbelievable is that you continue to mouth off, despite being in the wrong." Mike doubled his belt over and stepped closer.

"How exactly am I in the wrong, Mike, by having a private conversation with my cousin? Please tell me, no enlighten me as to how that is a belt-worthy offense." I stood now on the opposite side of the bed from Mike so I wasn't within reach.

"You know very well it's your disrespectful attitude which I'm seeing a prime example of right now that has you in trouble, not the mere fact you had a conversation with your cousin." Mike closed the gap between us, making me quite nervous as I focused on the iron grip he held on his belt. "I mean, do you honestly think, Julie, that I'm going to punish you for speaking to your cousin?"

I focused on a spot on the floor, knowing I could never speak what I was foolishly about to say to Mike's face as I unwisely responded, "I think you're just pissed at Stacey cuz she's fucking her boyfriend and you're taking it out on me." Little did I know how right I was.

Mike shook his head and chuckled derisively, "Oh you are a piece of work, Julie. Always so determined to push all my buttons, despite knowing precisely where it will land you." Mike grabbed my right arm and twisted it behind my back as he forcefully bent me over my bed. He set his belt down inches from my face as he used his free hand to tug my pants and underwear down to my knees.

Picking up his belt, he proceeded to whip my behind with a determined veracity I'd never previously experienced.

He hit the same spot repeatedly in rapid succession, making me cry out, "Ow, ow, ow. Stop, it hurts," as I tried my damnedest to twist out of the path of that wicked leather beast.

"It's supposed to hurt, Julie, you're being punished." Mike alternated spanking my bare bottom with his firm hand and stiff belt, bringing tears to my eyes in less than a minute's time. "You are never to speak so crudely and disrespectfully to me, or anyone else for that matter, ever again. Do you understand me, Julie Elizabeth? Never again!" Mike punctuated those last two words with five excruciatingly painful strokes of his belt to my thighs.

"I'm sorry, Mike, I'm sorry," I sobbed. "Just please stop," I pleaded, almost out of breath from struggling against this punishment.

"I'll stop when I feel you've learned your lesson and we're not quite there yet, darlin'." Mike continued to spank my sit spots as I cried and clutched my bed sheets until my knuckles whitened under the strain. As I would later find out when looking in the mirror, Mike slapped me so hard with his belt, he left dark red circles around my already tender sit spots.

"STOP, MIKE, STOP! I can't take anymore." I honestly felt like I was going to pass out from the pain.

Mike stopped the spanking and said, "Good, now you know exactly how I feel about your smart mouth and disrespectful attitude." He paused as he gently rubbed the crease below my left buttcheek, "I just can't take it anymore." Switching to rub underneath my right buttcheek, he continued, "And I won't take it anymore, Julie. I'm done allowing you to speak and act inappropriately whenever you please. From now on, expect immediate swift and severe consequences. Understand?" Mike emphasized his question with one more stinging slap to my bottom, making me wince in pain.

When the Hell was it ever any different? I thought to myself, but I obediently responded, "Yes sir," as my butt couldn't possibly take anymore punishment at this point.

Mike swiftly and gruffly yanked up my underwear and pants before tugging me to a standing position. This spanking and belting on top of Mike's harsh spanking yesterday, had me hurting more than I thought was humanly possible.

I wiped the streaming tears from my face, only to have them quickly replaced as Mike looked me in the eye and said with a heartbreaking, soul crushing sadness in his voice, "You're better than this, Julie. This I don't give a crap attitude. This belligerent speech. You're better than this," he repeated woefully.

Mike turned and began to walk towards the door but he stopped when he heard me plead, "Mike, please don't go." I needed so badly to feel his comfort and know I was forgiven.

"What, Julie?" Mike was curt with me and his tone was sharp. Anger radiated off him.

As much as I craved his comfort and forgiveness, I was just too stubborn to ask him for it. "Nothing," I said sadly, looking down and wiping my eyes.

Stopping in the doorway, giving me a false glimmer of hope that he would sense my needs and turn around, Mike flatly stated, "I want you to get ready for bed. Lights out for you is 7pm tonight." And just like that he was gone, leaving me alone to cry myself to sleep.