Timeline: 1 week later, following the actions in “Ruby Lucas, What A Surprise”
Jamie scowled at the empty, cold space in her bed. This was the fourth night in a row that Emma had spent the night at Ruby’s apartment, and it was starting to annoy her. She fussed and fumed at no one in particular, stomping around the bedroom as she got dressed. They’d planned to take a trip to the park today and feed the ducks, but now Jamie didn’t care if Emma came along or not. She stomped down the stairs and flopped dramatically into a chair at the kitchen table.
“Emma didn’t come home last night, again.” She complained to Regina who was busy flipping pancakes at the stove.
“Emma is a responsible adult, little one, and perfectly capable of making her own decisions about who she wants to spend her evenings with.”
“I’m an adult too.” Jamie declared with a huff. “How come I don’t get to make my own decisions?”
Regina arched an eyebrow as she carried the plate of pancakes to the table. “Do I really need to answer that?”
“Yes. Yes, you do.” Jamie demanded petulantly. “Just because I some-times have Little issues doesn’t mean I’m not capable of making adult decisions.”
Regina cocked her head thoughtfully as she split the stack of pancakes between them. “I suppose that’s true to some degree, but I’ve noticed you slipping into Little Space a lot more often than not lately.”
Jamie folded her arms over her chest as she stared suspiciously at her star shaped pancakes. “How come my pancakes are shaped like stars and yours are circles?”
Regina set her fork down and regarded her argumentative brat silently for a moment as she gathered her thoughts. “I thought you liked having your pancakes made that way. If you want me pour them out into normal circles next time, all you have to do is ask.”
Jamie frowned as she poked her pancakes with a fork. “I didn’t say that. I just… You didn’t even ask if I wanted them made that way.”
Regina set her fork down in exasperation. “That’s because you always ask for them that way. The same way you ask for your grilled cheese to be cut into triangles, and your apple slices to be peeled, and your blueberries to be put in a separate bowl so they don’t touch the grapes.”
Jamie shoved a bite of pancake into her mouth. “Sho what if I ike apples peel. Whashit matter?”
Regina arched a pointed eyebrow at Jamie’s rambling. “Excuse me? How about trying that again, but don’t speak with your mouth full this time.”
Jamie swallowed her mouthful of pancakes then pointed her fork at Regina. “I said – So what if I like my apples peeled. What does it matter?”
Regina stared pointedly at her brat until Jamie retracted her fork, cheeks turning pink as she realized she was being a little overly aggressive. “It doesn’t matter, really, unless you want it to.” Regina cut her pancakes into small, delicate squares. “It’s just one part of a larger pattern I’ve come to recognize. There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s just the way you are.”
“Yeah, but…” Jamie frowned, setting her fork down on the edge of her plate. “It’s still not fair.”
Regina sighed to herself as she mimicked Jamie’s action with her fork. “Tell me something, baby. Do you like it when I take care of you?”
Jamie squirmed as she contemplated Regina’s question. She did like it when Regina took care of her and cuddled with her, sometimes suggesting what to wear, and even letting her take a bubble bath. She even helped her wash her hair on occasion when Jamie was feeling particularly little. And she did like the star pancakes and the peeled apples and having her sandwiches cut into triangles. But she also liked being treated like an adult – sometimes. She sighed wearily and picked her fork back up.
“Yes, ma’am, I do like it when you take care of me, especially bubble baths, which I’m sure you already know. I like it when we cuddle together and watch Disney movies.” She lifted her chin with a stubborn pout. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t make adult decisions too.”
Regina reached over and wiped a drop of syrup from Jamie’s chin. “I know you can, baby. I absolutely agree.”
Jamie leaned back in her chair with a scowl and a grunt. “So, does that mean I can drive your car sometime, or maybe Emma’s bug when it gets fixed.”
Regina chuckled. “Nice try, baby, but no. You have to show me more responsibility first.”
Jamie threw back her chair with an angry scowl, stomping over to the sink to rinse her plate. “This is fucking bullshit. I am an adult, Regina…”
“Enough!” Regina’s voice cut through her rant like a whip. “I will not have language like that in my house, and you know better than to swear at me.”
Jamie swallowed hard, wiping her wet hands on a towel before turning around to face an irate Regina. “Look, I’m sorry about the language, and I wasn’t swearing at you exactly.”
“Then what was it, exactly?” Regina responded coolly.
Jamie flinched, dropping her gaze as Regina waited for her answer. “I don’t… I mean… Look, I said I was sorry, okay? I just – I want to be treated like an adult, like Emma.”
Regina arched an eyebrow. “You want to be treated like an adult? Fine. Then you can be spanked like an adult.”
Jamie’s eyes widened. “Spank… What?!” She scooted around the table, backing up toward the living room. “Regina, wait. You can’t be serious. Adults don’t get spanked.”
Regina snorted. “They do in this house when they misbehave.”
Jamie turned and bolted for the living room, anything to escape Regina’s declaration of consequences. She flailed wildly when Regina’s magic lifted her off the ground, and a soft poof alerted her to the older woman’s proximity. A firm arm around her waist nearly sent her into a panic, and she wiggled and squirmed as Regina carried her over to the couch.
“Stop wiggling around and trying to escape.” Regina popped her on the thigh, and Jamie froze, surprised by the sting.
“Regina, please, no. Please. I’m sorry. I won’t swear again. I promise. Please don’t spa… Please don’t do this.”
Regina pursed her lips as she wrestled Jamie’s pants down then tugged the younger woman over her lap. “You’ve been nothing but grumpy and grouchy and rude all morning, and I’m not going to put up with it anymore.”
Jamie let out a shriek as Regina’s hand came down firmly in the center of her bottom. She was grateful for the minute amount of protection afforded by her boy shorts, but it still stung something fierce. She kicked her legs wildly, earning her two smacks to the back of the thigh.
“Stop kicking, young lady, or I will summon the paddle from my bedroom.”
Jamie gasped at the thought of something worse than Regina’s hand. “Please, no, ma’am. I’m sorry. I’ll stop kicking. Please don’t paddle me.”
Regina continued painting Jamie’s bottom a light pink which deepened to dark pink after twenty swats. Pausing to shake out her hand, she pulled Jamie’s boy shorts down to just below the handprints on her thighs. Jamie whimpered and cried as she realized the spanking wasn’t over. Four hard swats landed on the thickest part of her butt, and she realized that Regina had been going easy on her for the first part. Hiccupping sobs exploded from her chest, and Jamie slumped over the older woman’s lap in surrender.
“Please, ma’am. Please, I’m sorry.” It was the only thing she could think to say in between sobs.
After another six swats, Regina began rubbing Jamie’s back and bottom in small soothing circles. Jamie buried her face in the sofa, still crying softly and shuddering with angst filled sobs. Afraid that Regina might send her back to Ursula, she flinched when the older woman lifted her gently on to her lap and cuddled her to her chest.
“Spanking’s over, little one.” She murmured softly. “All is forgiven, baby girl.”
“Are you going to send me back?” Jamie mumbled into Regina’s neck.
Regina’s heart nearly broke. “Of course not, baby. You’re a part of this family now, and family is forever.”
Jamie wiped her nose on her sleeve. “Not always. Some of the girls said they were sold to Ursula by their family.”
Regina cupped the back of Jamie’s neck. “That’s terrible, baby, but I want you to know, I would never do that. You and Emma and I – we belong to each other now. We were meant to be together, as a family.”
Jamie soaked up Regina’s love as the arms around her tightened. She hugged Regina back even more tightly. Hopefully, the older woman understood how much she appreciated being rescued, even if she did just get walloped. It was nice actually, and a little weird, to find that Regina cared enough to correct her when she misbehaved. She sniffled as she laid her head over Regina’s heart, listening to the thump-thump inside. Maybe being cared for wasn’t so bad after all.
“Regina.” Jamie murmured softly. “Can we poof upstairs, so you can rub cream into my butt? I know I don’t deserve it, but… I just want to say, I’m really sorry.”
Before she’d even finished her apology, Regina poofed them upstairs and onto her bed. Jamie winced as she laid down on her stomach and kicked off her pants. Regina carded fingers through Jamie’s hair before retrieving the cream from the nightstand drawer. Drawing Jamie’s boy shorts down a little farther, Regina spread a liberal amount of cream all over Jamie’s backside and the tops of her thighs. Even with the cream, she knew the younger woman wouldn’t be sitting comfortably for the rest of the day.
“I accept your apology, little one, and I know you’ll try very hard to behave in the future, won’t you?”
Jamie nodded emphatically. “Yes, ma’am. Absolutely. No more spankings for this girl.” She squirmed as Regina helped her pull up her boy shorts. “Um, Miss Regina, ma’am. Do you think… I mean, could we maybe cuddle together and watch Minions or Frozen?”
Regina arched an eyebrow inquisitively. “Wouldn’t you rather watch an adult movie?”
Jamie squirmed adorably at Regina’s inquiry. “Um, not particularly. I mean, if you want to watch something else, that’s fine too, but I kind of like Disney movies.”
Regina smiled warmly as she swapped her snappy pantsuit for sweats and climbed under the covers. Holding out her arms, she braced herself for the impact of Jamie against her chest. Jamie cuddled into Regina’s lap in just her t-shirt and boy shorts, her bottom too sore for jeans. The gentle patting of her bottom lulled Jamie into a comfortable silence. As the credits rolled, she nuzzled into Regina’s neck.
“Gina, can I tell you something?” Her voice was soft and light, completely different from a few moments ago.
Regina rubbed Jamie’s back. “Sure, baby. What is it?”
Jamie swallowed. “I kind of like it when you take care of me. I know I said I wanted to be treated like an adult. But, maybe, that can be just sometimes.”
Regina let her hand slide down to rub Jamie on the bottom. “Are you feeling kind of little right now, sweet girl?”
Jamie squirmed, burying her face in between Regina’s breasts. “Maybe.” She mumbled.
Regina chuckled very softly. “It’s alright if you are, baby. You know I love taking care of you, right? I promise it’s totally okay if you want to be little sometimes and adult other times.”
Jamie sighed as she got comfortable in Regina’s arms. “That’s just it, Gina. Sometimes I don’t have control over it, the shifts, I mean. Sometimes it just happens, and before I know it, I’m feeling little. Most of the time I don’t even realize I need it or want it, but there it is.”
Regina paused the movie while she gathered her thoughts. “There’s nothing wrong with being little, sweet girl. I want you to know that. It’s a part of who you are, just like being a Caregiver is a part of me. Whatever the reason for you being little, it doesn’t matter. I’m here for you, and I always will be.”
“Always?” Jamie’s voice was small as she wrapped her arms around Regina’s neck.
“Always, baby girl. I’m here if you need me, however you need me. I give you, my word.”
Jamie breathed a soft sigh of contentment as she relaxed into Regina’s comforting words. As much as she’d complained earlier about not being treated like an adult, she recognized that her little wasn’t going away any time soon. Her little needed structure and boundaries, and apparently so did her grownup self, even if she wasn’t thrilled with the idea of getting spanked.
“Thank you, ma’am.” Jamie murmured. “I want you to know I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, even when I seem unappreciative and ungrateful. Even when I fight getting spanked and act like a brat, I don’t really mean it.”
“I know, baby. I know.”
Regina slid down a little until they lay prone, bodies curled around each other. She ran her fingers through Jamie’s hair as the young woman drowsed sleepily against her. Affection filled her heart and something else, something that felt suspiciously like love. Tasting that new feeling, she pushed it to the back of her mind for the time being. She didn’t want to rush the younger woman into anything. Besides, Jamie might not even feel the same way. She closed her eyes as she turned the movie on low, the background noise of the Frozen theme song lulling them to sleep.
Return to What Was And What Is
Return to What Was And What Is
Words In My Head 