The Guardian

Chapter 1

He sat in the back of the court gallery, in the same seat he

had taken on the day the defendant had been found guilty.
He had been contacted by the judge, a grandfatherly sort
who had known Jason for just about his entire life, and who
requested Jason to be present during the final days of the
trial and the sentencing hearing. Jason focused his attention
on the young woman who was seated at the defendant’s
table alongside her attorney. Pale but composed, the woman
was awaiting sentencing for the theft charge of which she
had been convicted three days previously. Jason knew that
this was the woman’s first and only offense, her record
showing she hadn’t even had so much as a traffic ticket. Five
years ago, the sentence for this type of theft charge would
have been minor, reduced to no more than probation and
restitution, but, Jason knew that the woman was facing
much more.
Eight years ago, society had finally had it with all the
problems. The violent teenage crimes, school shootings,
pedophiles, rampant shootings, drugs, prostitution and
pornography had finally led the government to make major
changes in the laws and five years ago, the laws had
officially gone into effect across the entire nation. One major
law was the fact that the age of majority for men had been
raised to 25. Under this new age limit, any male under the
age of 25 was required to be under the guardianship of
family. In the absence of family, the minor was made a ward
of the court and a guardian was assigned. By the age of 25,
all minors were expected to have completed at least four
years of college and have completed at least three years of
evaluation in the workforce. For women, the age of majority
was considered 25 as well, but, while this released them to
work and live independently, they still remained under the
guardianship of their family or the court until such a time as
they married or reached 30 years of age. The government
felt that in this way, minors had a better chance of being
productive and law abiding citizens, and women would be
better protected. While there were many protests over the
laws, the overall crime rate had dropped nearly 63% in the
five years since the laws were enacted. Violent crimes were
sharply decreased and child abuse was almost non-existent.
One reason for this, Jason felt, was the fact that parents
were allowed to parent their children without intrusion from
the bleeding heart social groups that had once taken that
right away. In order to help parents with the confusing
points of child rearing, parents were now required to attend
several sessions of child-rearing instruction at child age
intervals, and attendance was tracked. Parents failing to
complete this instruction were in danger of having their
children made wards of the court until such a time as they
completed the classes. Each course was a minimum of three
weeks in length and was given by a mixture of social
workers, physicians, teachers, law enforcement and child
psychology professionals. Another addition to the law was
that spanking was no longer considered illegal. In fact,
spanking was not only allowed at home and in schools, but
was also now a legal sentence in courts of law for anyone
under the age of 30.

Jason’s attention was diverted by the court bailiff as he

announced the arrival of the judge.

“All rise, this court is now in session. The honorable Michael

Samuels presiding.”

Jason watched as his foster father took his place behind the
judge’s bench. A feeling of pride and love stole over Jason.
Jason, an only child, had been orphaned at the age of three
when his parents had died in a car accident. Having no other
family, Jason had been fostered to the judge and his late
wife and this man had been his father, confident, teacher
and friend for the past 28 years. His foster father was well
respected in the law community for his insight and ability to
interpret the law. In almost 40 years as a judge, he had
never once drawn any criticism over his rulings and was in
fact about to be appointed the Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court ; this was to be his last court case as a trial judge.

“Before I proceed to sentencing, I would like to explain some

things of which people may not be aware. In order to be fair
to those people who had previously reached the age of
majority prior to the implementation of the Law of Social
Serenity Act , there was a clause that stated that anyone
male or female between the ages of 18 and 25 would be
allowed to maintain their independent status based on their
scholastic, criminal and work records. If granted, these
people were allowed to remain independent, but, their
performance was still tracked until males reached the age of
25 and women reached the age of 30. A failure to maintain
minimum standards could result in the revocation of their
independent status. Ms Myers was 21 when the laws were
enacted and she was granted independent status due to her
education and work history, and the fact that she had no
criminal record of any kind. Catherine Myers, please rise.”
Jason watched as the woman and her attorney stood and
faced the judge. While the woman’s face showed a calm
demeanor, Jason could see her hands trembling as she
stood and she was momentarily unsteady on her feet. The
gallery maintained a respectful silence as the judge went on.

“Catherine Myers. You have admitted to and been found

guilty of the charge of theft by a jury of your peers. The
maximum sentence for this charge is 3 years imprisonment
followed by 5 years probation, plus the cost of restitution.
While the law does not take into account different types of
theft, I feel that the maximum sentence would not be
justice. According to the records and evidence, the theft was
due to loss of your job and subsequent lack of money for
food. While I sympathize with the theft of food due to
hunger, I cannot condone the fact that you did not take
other legal avenues in order to get help. I also feel that the
act of theft was done out of desperation and was due to a
lack of judgment and not as an act of an otherwise lawless
citizen who steals for personal gain. Given these mitigating
factors, my sentence is as follows.

Catherine Myers you are hereby sentenced to 300 strokes of

the strap on the bare buttocks to be given in 20 stroke
increments. You are sentenced to probation for a period of
at least three years, not to exceed five years. During your
probation, you are required to make restitution in the
amount of $200.00 and you are required to return to college
in order to complete your degree. In addition, your
independent status is hereby revoked until your probation is
completed and you have reached your 30th birthday.”

Jason smiled inwardly at the sentence. He recognized the

sentence since his foster father had given him one very
similar to it, for a very similar offense, when Jason was 16.

“The first and last 20 strokes of your strapping will be in this

courtroom in view of the assembled gallery and the interim
strokes will be administered on a weekly basis by your
appointed guardian. You are required to reside with your
appointed guardian for the duration of your probation and he
will have full legal rights in regards to further restrictions
and governance of your behavior. Do you have any
questions about or do you have any objections to the
sentence I have just read?”

Jason watched as Catherine tried to take this bravely, but,

he saw a lone tear track down her cheek as she answered in
a shaky but audible voice.

“I have no questions your honor and I accept the court’s

sentence.”

Jason’s focus shifted once more to his foster father.

“This court is in recess for 20 minutes while the defendant is
prepared for punishment. The gallery is required to leave the
courtroom during this recess and will be allowed to return 5
minutes before punishment commences. Following
punishment, the gallery is ordered to exit the courtroom
quickly and quietly. Bailiff, take charge of the defendant.
This court is in recess.”

Jason stood along with everyone else as the judge exited the
courtroom. He filed out with the rest of the crowd and stood
quietly beside a window as he awaited the word to re-enter.
In his mind’s eye he knew what was happening inside the
courtroom. The spanking bench would be rolled in and safely
secured in a sideways position so that the gallery would only
receive a profile view of the defendant. Under the protection
of a court appointed female protector, Catherine would be
required to remove all clothing from the waist down prior to
being placed in position on the bench, and her ankles,
middle thighs and wrists would be secured so as to minimize
movement and possible injury. At no time would Catherine
be left alone until such a time as she was released to her
guardian or to the matron of the women’s detention facility.
The court appointed disciplinarian would be in the judge’s
chambers getting his final instructions from the judge and
would enter the courtroom at the same time as the judge.
Jason filed back into the courtroom when the word was
given and saw that everything was in place and rose as the
judge and the disciplinarian entered. His foster father took
his place behind the bench and the disciplinarian moved into
place to the left and slightly behind where Catherine was
secured. Jason winced as he saw the strap in the
disciplinarian’s hand and recognized it as his foster father’s
favorite implement of choice. Far from the most severe, it
still packed a powerful sting as Jason knew first hand. The
implement resembled a paddle more than a strap. Made out
of leather, the “blade” was 15 inches long and 8 inches wide
with eight holes the size of dimes running the width of the
blade. There was a handhold of roughly 8 inches that
allowed the spanker to have a very firm hold of the strap.
Jason winced in sympathy as the first stroke landed with a
solid crack and he saw Catherine holding back her cries.
Jason knew the strokes were given in evenly timed but
steady intervals. There were very few that would not
eventually give voice to their extreme discomfort and
Catherine was no different. By the third stroke Catherine
was in tears and by the fifth she could no longer hold back
her cries. Once she started crying out, Jason could see her
forget everything else that was going on around her as her
attention became focused on the pain in her bottom and the
seemingly unending strokes of the strap. Jason could also
tell that the disciplinarian was not using his full strength and
knew his foster father had probably told the disciplinarian to
go as easy as he could. The twentieth stroke fell and as the
disciplinarian stepped back and at a signal from the judge,
the gallery filed quietly out of the room. As they had
arranged prior to the sentencing that morning, Jason made
his way back to his foster father’s chambers. He knocked on
the door and opened it at the muffled “come in.”
As Jason walked in, he found his foster father hanging the
strap back on the rack behind his desk. His foster father
turned, smiled, walked over and pulled Jason into an
affectionate hug.
“Have a seat Jason so we can chat a minute. Matron Sarah
is getting Catherine settled and she should be ready to go in
a few minutes.”
Jason took the seat indicated and listened to his foster
father.
“This is going to be your very first assignment as guardian
to essentially an adult. Many had their concerns as to your
appointment due to the fact there is only three years
separating you and Catherine. Given your track record as a
temporary guardian to younger children, however, and
knowing your background, I managed to convince the
committee that your appointment would be the most
beneficial to Catherine. She does not need a parental figure
as much as she needs male influence to help her with
choices and just the stresses of everyday living. As we
agreed, you will move into Catherine’s house since there is
more room than your apartment. According to Matron
Sarah, while Catherine has been a model inmate these past
few weeks, she has also been scared and slightly withdrawn.
I feel that keeping her in her own home will help with her
mental and emotional recovery. I have rescinded the
automatic requirement that Catherine remain in detention
for 24 hours following her punishment and am going to
release her to you tonight. I don’t feel that the additional 24
hours will do anything but make Catherine feel more alone
and will only add to her emotional upset. “

Jason saw his foster father grin before his next words and he
had to smile as well.

“Now, I know you recognize the sentence I gave her and this
was the lightest sentence I could come up with. As her
guardian, you are required to administer the interim strokes.
On the record, I have to say that the strokes must be as
hard as what she has received today, however, off the
record, the severity of those interim strokes I leave to you.
You are only required to document that the strokes were
given and not how they were given. Do you have any
questions or concerns before I officially release Catherine
into your care.”

Jason replied “No Sir. I have already moved my things into

Catherine’s house; the friend that has been taking care of
the house let me in. I have also asked her friend to check in
every day for a little while so she can see that Catherine is
not being harmed in any way. I know things can be a little
sticky since we are so close in age and I don’t want there to
be any hint of impropriety beyond the guardian/ward
relationship. Once Catherine is comfortable that I am not
going to attack her, her friend will stop by less frequently
but will still remain in contact.”
His foster father smiled. “Good. As long as there is nothing
more, here is the information you need on Catherine and a
copy of her sentence. You also need to sign this release
indicating you are accepting the position as Catherine’s
guardian , that you understand the duties related to the
position and that you accept Catherine as your ward. Once
you sign the release, Matron Sarah and Catherine will be
waiting for you in waiting room 4. Matron Sarah will have
explained to Catherine about her early release and will have
given her your background. Good luck son; you know I am
here if you need to talk.”

Jason signed the release and gave his foster father another
hug before picking up the file and leaving the room. In the
corridor, he took a deep breath and made his way to waiting
room 4.

The Guardian
Chapter 2

Catherine stood at the window, staring out at the scenic

garden two floors below. She was angry. Not so much with
what had happened to her ion the past month, but, at
herself for getting herself in this fix in the first place. What
had ever made her start stealing was still beyond her and
she was now paying a heavy price for that stupidity. Even as
she thought about it, she unconsciously reached her hand
back, gently rubbing her aching bottom. She had been
spanked as a child so the action in and of itself was not
unfamiliar, but, it had been many years since she had felt a
strap and she had forgotten how much it stung and left a
burning ache even after the punishment was completed. She
sighed and turned back to the kindly woman sitting at the
table.
Matron Sarah was the lead matron at the woman’s detention
facility; the place Catherine had called home for the past
month. Not normally at the duty desk, Matron Sarah had
taken over duty for another who had a family emergency
and needed the night off. Fortunately for Catherine, Matron
Sarah was on duty the night she had been bought in.
Handcuffed, scared out of her mind and just overly
miserable, Catherine had gone through in-processing in a
daze. Matron Sarah had walked Catherine through the
rooms and even though she had been firm, her manner was
gentle and kind.

“Your appointed guardian will be here shortly. You’ll like

him; I’ve known him for quite a long time. Before he arrives,
I need to talk to you. “

Out of deference and respect, Catherine walked back over to

stand across from Sarah, though she declined the invitation
to sit.

Matron Sarah went on.

“Now, normally following a strapping, you would be returned

to the detention facility for one more night. This is so you
may remain under observation and give you a chance to
settle. Judge Samuels, however, has not always seen this as
a positive move and has rescinded this requirement in your
case. “ She consulted the file in front of her. “Your guardian
is Jason Michaels. He has been a certified guardian since he
turned 25 and is well respected. Since the judge feels you
will be comfortable in your own home, arrangements have
been made for Jason to move in with you, rather than
uprooting you from your family home. Arrangements have
also been made for your friend, Ariana, to check on you
daily for a few weeks, just to make sure everything is going
well. When she visits, do not be afraid to tell her if Jason is
acting inappropriately or outside the laws of a guardian.
There would be no repercussions to you if the laws of
guardianship were being violated. The courts will protect a
ward and take charges of abuses very seriously. Jason grew
up with Judge Samuels and I have known the family for a
good 20 years. Jason is one of the best and can make all
this much easier to bear if you just allow him to help you.
Do you have any questions?”

“No questions, and I want to thank you for making my,

uhm, stay, as easy as possible. I do want to get home
though and try and forget this whole day even happened.
When will he be here?”

Before Sarah could answer, there was a knock at the door.

“Speak of the devil,” Sarah murmured with a smile. Sarah

walked over, opened the door and stepped back to allow
Jason to walk in. Catherine watched as the tall, dark-haired
man leaned down slightly to give Matron Sarah a kiss on the
cheek. “Hi beautiful, still won’t run away with me?” Jason
teased. Sarah blushed and gave Jason a gentle slap on the
arm. “Brat,” she said affectionately. “Come over and meet
your new ward. “

Catherine had remained where she was, making no move

towards the man who had just come into the room. As Jason
walked over, Catherine felt a flicker of fear. Before Jason
had walked in, the conditions of her sentence had been
words on a piece of paper. Now, she was facing a man she
would be living with, had to listen to and obey for at least
the next three years. Having been on her own these past
five years, she was less than happy with the arrangement,
but, as she kept reminding herself, she could be in jail right
now, instead of going home.

Jason walked over to Catherine and extended his hand with

a warm smile. Catherine, I’m Jason Michaels.”
Catherine took his hand for a moment and released it. Jason
was pleased to see that Catherine’s handshake was firm and
not the standard wimpy handshake he was used to getting
from women. He looked at her face intently, trying to see
what she was feeling, but, Catherine’s face was impassive
and wasn’t giving anything away.

“Are you ready to go, we have quite a drive and I know you
probably want to get home.”

Catherine nodded and reached down to pick up the bag that

contained her few personal items that Ariana had brought to
her at the detention center, in preparation for Catherine’s
release. Jason let the nod go; there would be time enough
later to make sure Catherine learned that when he asked a
question, he wanted a verbal answer. He turned back to
Sarah and gave her a quick hug. “See you soon. Dad is
having a cookout in a few weeks to welcome the warm
weather and have a last fling before he starts with the
Supreme Court, the old coot,” he said affectionately. Sarah
smiled back and walked Jason and Catherine to the door.
There was a wealth of meaning in Sarah’s words as she said
to Jason, “you take care of her now.”

Jason and Catherine stepped out into the warm afternoon

air; a pleasant breeze was blowing and Catherine stopped
for a minute just to close her eyes and inhale. She was free,
well, almost. Jason watched her and then taking her arm in
a light grip, he gently urged her over to the waiting car.
Opening her door for her, he waited until she was seated
and then he took her bag and placed in the trunk. Getting
into the car, he glanced over and said just one word
“seatbelt.” Catherine grimaced, but reached back and pulled
the seatbelt over her shoulder, hooking it into the clip. She
hated seatbelts. She wasn’t especially tall and the seatbelt
always cut into her neck.
Jason noted Catherine’s response to the seatbelt but didn’t
say anything as he pulled out of the parking lot to make the
two hour drive to Catherine’s house. He could see her trying
to get comfortable and knew the pain in her bottom was the
cause for her squirming. Still, there was nothing either of
them could do about it and as long as she didn’t get into a
position that was unsafe, he would let it go; this time.

An hour and a half later, Catherine was miserable. She

didn’t realize just how uncomfortable the drive home was
going to be on a bottom that was sore and aching from the
strapping she had endured only a couple hours previously. If
she had been able to walk a bit, the pain wouldn’t be nearly
as bad but having to sit for almost two hours had kept the
burning ache from retreating. Glancing at a road sign,
Catherine knew they were only 20 minutes or so from the
house and then, she could get some relief. Still, she was
inwardly fuming at Jason that he hadn’t at least made some
effort to stop at some point. Her constant squirming had
gotten his attention a few times but he never once asked if
she was OK. Their conversation had been stilted; both
feeling the newness and awkwardness of their positions.
Catherine knew there would be plenty of time for chatting
when they reached their destination.

Jason heard Catherine sigh for what seemed the hundredth

time and gritted his teeth. He knew she was hurting and
impatient to get home so he took hold of his temper and
concentrated on the turns he needed to get them to the
house, thanking the stars that the drive was almost over.
Normally, he would have checked the attitude he could see
building, but, this one time, he understood the reasons and
decided it would be better to let things go until he could lay
out the rules and expectations. He was a little surprised
actually. In the days he was observing her in the courtroom,
Jason never thought her attitude might be an issue, but, it
wouldn’t be a problem; he had dealt with much worse.

Catherine was still sore, and a little stiff, when she got out of
the car. Not waiting for Jason, she made her way to the
front door and only belatedly realized she didn’t have her
keys; Ariana had taken them form the detention center so
she could look after the house. She turned and found, to her
further aggravation, that Jason was right behind her, having
retrieved her bag, and was holding the keys in his hand.
Ignoring the hand Catherine held out for the keys, Jason
opened the door and let Catherine precede him into the
spacious entryway. Placing the bag on the floor near the
entryway table, Jason watched as Catherine went from room
to room in the comfortable ranch. Jason saw Oscar,
Catherine’s cat, come around the corner of the door that led
to the kitchen. It was obvious he had been enjoying a cat
nap as his eyes were still half-closed in what could only be
described as kitty contentment. Jason smiled and reached
down to pet Oscar who started purring like the proverbial
freight train and reached his head up further for Jason to
scratch. Jason liked this cat. A big yellow and white tabby,
Oscar was a friendly thing and he had taken to Jason almost
immediately on the day Jason had moved his belongings into
the house. Still, Jason could tell Oscar was all for Catherine
as he meowed and immediately went over to Catherine
when he saw her emerge from the same kitchen door he had
just come through. Catherine’s whole demeanor changed
when she saw Oscar; she picked him up and Jason could
hear her murmuring things to the cat over the cat’s loud
purring. Oscar put up with the affection for only a short time
before he was stretching back to the floor. Catherine took
the hint and reluctanly let him down, then, picking up her
bag from the entryway, she proceeded down to her room.
She still hadn’t said a word to him since they had entered
the house and in fact, was acting almost like she didn’t see
him. Ah well, Jason thought, that will soon change.
The Guardian
 Chapter 3

Catherine stopped dead in her tracks at Jason’s next words.

“Catherine, once you get your bag put away, come on out to
the porch. I have lunch ready and we need to talk about
how things are going to work.”

Catherine grimaced to herself but otherwise didn’t reply as

she continued on to her room. Jason made his way to the
kitchen and grabbed the lunch tray he had put together that
morning, taking out the bread and a few other items he had
not wanted to get out too early. Once completed, he took
the tray out to the comfortable sunroom off the kitchen,
where the windows were wide open and a nice breeze was
keeping the room cool. He glanced at his watch and realized
it had been 10 minutes since he had gotten out to the porch
so he went to check on Catherine. He heard the shower
running as he got closer to her room and despite his
irritation, he went back to the porch; he would address her
not telling him she wanted to shower first as they talked
through everything else.

Catherine stepped out of the shower feeling reborn. She felt

clean for the first time in a month; the community showers
in the detention center had not lent themselves to long , hot
showers but they had lent themselves to a lot of
embarrassment. 20 minutes later Catherine moved down the
hallway and stepped out onto the porch to find Jason
reading a file; her file she realized and her irritation grew.
The least he could do was not remind her every 10 minutes
of her predicament. Jason heard the door open and looked
up. He admitted to himself that Catherine looked better; less
anxious, but, he could still see the storm brewing in her stiff
stance as she stood in the doorway.
“Feel better?”, he asked. At her nod, he gestured to the
chair opposite him. “Good, have a seat and eat lunch, then
we can talk.”

Catherine walked over slowly and winced slightly as her

bottom made contact with the thin cushion on the chair. She
made a mental note to go out and buy some thicker
cushions, and as quickly as the thought came to her, she
grimaced. She was just about broke and wouldn’t be able to
afford anything like chair cushions for a long time. Her
further irritation caused her to grab bread , meat and cheese
a little rougher than she normally would have done and
when she took a sip of iced tea, she set her glass back on
the table with a hard thud. Jason watched her, shook his
head slightly and went back to his own lunch.

A half hour passed as Jason and Catherine ate in silence.

Catherine’s mood had improved only slightly and she had
stopped eating, only picking at what was left on her plate.
“Are you done?” he asked. Catherine nodded without looking
up and Jason decided it was time to start making some of
those changes.

“Catherine, look at me.” When Catherine raised her eyes, he

went on, his voice having taken on a stern tone. “When I
ask a question, I expect a verbal answer. Now, are you done
eating?

“Yes I’m done,” she snapped, lowering her eyes again.

Jason’s eyes narrowed and placing a finger under her chin,

he ordered again
“I said look at me Catherine.”

Reluctantly, but aided by Jason’s finger under her chin,

Catherine lifted her head slightly and focused on Jason’s
face. As she met his gaze, a brief flicker of fear ran through
her. His eyes no longer held the kind look she had seen at
the court. Instead, his eyes were narrowed in a glare and his
face had taken on a hard and stern look. Catherine
swallowed nervously and waited for Jason to continue.

“I am trying very hard to be patient with you,” he growled.

“I realize the last month has been rough on you and you are
trying to come to terms with everything, but, my patience is
wearing thin. My very strong suggestion to you is that you
adjust that attitude real quick or I am going to adjust it for
you. Do you understand me?”

Catherine stiffened and Jason saw the anger flash in her

eyes.

“Think very hard before you answer me young lady.”

Jason watched closely, holding his breath and hoping

Catherine would make the choice to behave and not to give
voice to the anger he saw in her eyes. He sensed when she
came to her decision just a split second before she slapped
his hand away from her chin and stood up.

“Yes I understand you. I am neither deaf nor stupid.”

“Apparently you didn’t understand. So let me clarify things
for you.”

That was all the warning Catherine got. Before she could
turn and escape through the kitchen door, Jason grabbed
her wrist and pulled her over to a nearby chair. Sitting
down, Jason gave a hard tug on Catherine’s wrist and she
fell facedown over his lap, her long hair brushing the floor.
Catherine started squirming in a desperate attempt to
escape, but, Jason merely captured her legs under one of his
own and grabbed her right wrist, anchoring it to her lower
back. Effectively trapped, Catherine couldn’t gain enough
leverage to actually escape. Jason waited, knowing that she
couldn’t maintain her struggles for long, and just waited for
her to wear herself out.

“You can’t do this,” she yelled at him. “Let me go

immediately you goon!”

“You had a choice and you made the wrong one.”

Jason raised the skirt of the dress Catherine was wearing

and let loose with a dozen very hard and fast smacks to
Catherine’s still panty clad bottom. Catherine screamed like
a scalded cat and immediately started struggling again, but
she didn’t get very far. Jason yanked down her panties to
mid-thigh, and could see the results of the court
disciplinarian’s handiwork. The bruises, however, did not
stop Jason from landing another dozen sizzling smacks, fully
intending to relight the still smoldering fire in Catherine’s
bottom. He was pretty sure it wouldn’t take too much to get
her attention since it had been only a few scant hours since
her encounter with the court strap and not nearly long
enough for any type of real recovery.

Catherine tried to hold in her cries but she was fast losing
her composure. She refused to show him just how much his
spanks hurt and was determined that she wouldn’t give him
the satisfaction of making her cry. Another dozen smacks
later, however, and Catherine lost the battle as she started
to sob.

“Owww, enough! “That really...owwwww!...hurts!”

“You don’t have a choice,“ he said, never losing his rhythm.

“I never intended to spank you again today. I wanted you to
relax before we started talking about how things are going
to be, even gave you at least two warnings, yet, you just
couldn’t resist being a brat and giving me attitude for
absolutely no reason. I haven’t done anything to you to
warrant that treatment.” he scolded.

Catherine was crying even harder, unable to even continue

protesting the continued spanks Jason was landing. When
she finally collapsed over his lap and stopped her struggling,
Jason realized she was finally at the end of her tether. He
finished up the spanking with a dozen more swats to the
tops of her thighs, and then stopped, resting his hand on the
small of her back. Catherine was in so much pain she didn’t
even realize, at first, that the spanking had stopped. Jason
let her rest over his lap and cry it out a bit as he gently
rubbed her back. After a few minutes, however, instead of
lessening, Catherine’s crying seemed to be getting worse.
Tugging her panties back into place and lowering the skirt of
the dress, Jason gently helped her stand, and then caught
her as her knees buckled. Picking her up, he looked at the
couch in the sunroom and then changing his mind, went
through the kitchen door and down to Catherine’s bedroom.

This room was all Catherine. Done in shades of yellow, the

room was tastefully decorated with everything that could be
named spring. Flowers were in abundance in the curtains
and the matching bedspread; a fireplace took its place in the
center of the short wall and the mantle was decorated with
candles interspersed with pictures of people Jason assumed
to be Catherine’s friends and family.
He sat down on the bed, cradling Catherine in such a way so
that her bottom wasn’t in contact with anything. He
continued to rub her back and spoke gently to her, letting
her know everything was OK, that she was safe and that he
was there for her. He realized the tears weren’t so much
from the spanking she had just received, but more from the
fear and tension of the past month’s events. He had
expected this reaction; it was very common amongst those
he had dealt with previously but the catharsis usually took a
little longer to come to the surface. Still, releasing this early
was a good thing and allowed the healing process to start
that much sooner. What little he knew about Catherine told
him this wouldn’t be the last time she needed the outlet.

Catherine’s crying finally started to ease and then finally

stopped as she relaxed into Jason’s arms. When Jason
looked down at her, he realized she had fallen asleep.
Smiling slightly, he gently stood up so as not to wake her
and then laid her on top of the bedspread. Catherine
whimpered in her sleep as her bottom hit the mattress but
she didn’t wake. Jason covered her with a blanket that was
folded at the end of the bed and the almost laughed as
Oscar came trotting into the bedroom, jumped up on the
bed and curled up tight against Catherine’s back, purring so
loud it was a wonder Catherine didn’t wake. Jason scratched
Oscar on the back of his head and then he leaned over,
brushing Catherine’s hair away from her tear streaked face.
He went into the attached bathroom, grabbed a washcloth
and wet it with warm water, then went back and gently
washed her face, making sure not to wake her. Checking her
again and realizing she was sound asleep, he put the
washcloth back in the bathroom and then quietly left the
room.

Walking back down to the sunroom, Jason took Catherine’s

file and started to make notes as to what had happened. The
notes were a requirement for the duration of Catherine’s
probation and would be taken into consideration when it
came time for her release. Jason only hoped that when
Catherine awoke, that they could put the day’s events
behind them and start again.
The Guardian
Chapter 4

Catherine was awoken by the bright sunlight streaming

through her bedroom window. She tossed off the covers and
sat on the edge of the bed for a minute, aware of the
lingering ache in her bottom. She was surprised, actually,
that the pain was minimal; she hadn’t expected to recover
so quickly from the strapping at the courthouse followed by
the spanking that Jason had added. The smell of fresh coffee
had her drooling for a cup, but, she decided to indulge in a
steaming hot shower before getting dressed and making her
way to the kitchen. She noticed that the door to the spare
bedroom, now Jason’s room, was standing open , the room
neat and the bed made. The heavenly scent of her favorite
gourmet coffee pulled Catherine to the kitchen as though
someone was pulling her using a rope. The coffee in the
women’s detention center had been barely describable as
coffee and Catherine was dying for something that actually
had flavor.
After pouring herself a large cup of the brew and adding just
a dash of milk, she made her way out onto the porch where
she figured Jason was sitting. She was a little nervous about
seeing him, knowing she owed him an apology for the way
she had acted. She wasn’t usually so obnoxious to people
and as she thought back, she was lucky Jason hadn’t gone
further in his correction. As she came through the kitchen
door, she saw Jason sitting at the table, a cup of coffee in
front of him, reading the newspaper and Oscar was curled
up in kitty contentment on the couch. Jason heard her,
looked up and smiled.

“Welcome back to the land of the living,” he teased, “feeling

better?”

Catherine smiled back, “thanks, and yes. Nothing like a

decent night’s sleep to make a body feel human” she said.
She sobered for a minute as she looked at him. “I’m sorry
for the way I acted. You were right. I had no cause to treat
you the way I did.”

Jason’s voice was gentle as he replied “apology accepted

and it’s forgotten.”

Catherine made her way to the table and took a seat,

putting her cup down in front of her. Oscar jumped down
from the couch and trotted over to Catherine, winding his
way around her ankles and then jumping up and putting his
front paws on her thigh, mewing for attention. Catherine
smiled down at him.
“Hello beautiful boy,” she crooned, as she reached down and
scratched him under his chin. “I missed you.”

Jason watched the exchange and smiled. Oscar was eating

up Catherine’s attention and Jason could see the cat had
Catherine wrapped tightly around his paw. As with normal
cat tendencies, despite the fact that Oscar had asked for
attention, he just as quickly decided enough was enough
and went back to his place on the couch.
Catherine turned back to the table and picking up her cup,
took another sip of her coffee. She closed her eyes in
absolute bliss and Jason laughed.
“Taste good?”

“You have no idea. The coffee I have had to endure over the
past month has put me into serious coffee withdrawal. It
was a toss-up whether or not to drink it or use it for water
color painting it was so weak” she said.
Jason smiled. “Sarah has complained quite a bit about that
coffee and takes in her own now. She said some of the
inmates have offered to do anything if she would just give
them a taste. What they don’t know is that Sarah likes her
coffee strong and there aren’t many people who could drink
that sludge she calls coffee.”

Catherine sobered slightly at the reminder of Sarah. Jason

noticed the change and reached out and covered Catherine’s
hand with his own.
“Hey, its OK,” he said gently. “You are home, safe and
things will work themselves out. It may seem a little
overwhelming right now but you’ll get through it. We need
to talk so we can get things settled but it can wait until after
breakfast. We can’t waste too much time as you have an
appointment with an academic advisor tomorrow.”

Catherine looked up at him in confusion. “Tomorrow?

Tomorrow is Sunday. There aren’t any schools open on
Sundays.”

“Honey, today is Sunday. You slept through Saturday,” he

laughed at her incredulous expression. “It’s OK, you needed
the rest. I tried to wake you for breakfast and lunch but you
just mumbled something I never did figure out and went
right back to sleep. I gave up around dinnertime figuring
you would come to on your own.”

“Let me make breakfast for today and then we can talk

about how things are going to work. After that, you get
kitchen duty for a little while. I am tired of eating my own
cooking and I know from Ariana that you have quite the
knack for cooking.”

He patted her hand again and then got up and headed for
the kitchen. Catherine sat quietly, sipping her coffee and
contemplating things. She was nervous, even though it
didn’t show. She didn’t want to have the “talk” that Jason
was referring to and had hoped to put it off a little longer.
What little independence she still had would more or less
disappear as soon as all the I’s were dotted and the T’s were
crossed; this talk would finalize that and for the next 3 years
at least, her life was going to be under a microscope.

Jason made a simple breakfast of fruit, eggs, bacon and

toast and they ate in a companionable silence each lost in
their own thoughts. Once they both had finished eating,
Jason made short work of the clean-up, refreshed their
coffee and then came back out onto the porch. Catherine
inwardly cringed when she saw the thick folder Jason held in
his hand. “Here it comes,” she thought.

Jason sat down across from her and after opening

Catherine’s folder, he began.

“Catherine, I know this is going to be difficult. This portion of

the sentence is the hardest to complete but at the same
time, the best part to complete, because it takes the
unknown and makes it known. When we finish here, you will
have a very clear-cut idea of what is expected from you and
from me for the duration of your sentence. I won’t lie. You
are going to find your life changed some of it for the better,
and some, depending on how you look at things, for the
worse. No matter the changes, however, you will not be
abused nor will I require you to do anything that would
compromise our relationship as guardian and ward. You are
safe.”

Catherine was looking at him but was otherwise silent. He

went on.

“First, I need to address the next 14 weeks until the

strapping portion of your sentence has been completed. As
per the court order, you were sentenced to 300 strokes; 20
given at the beginning and end of the sentence in full view
of the court, with the additional 260 given in weekly, 20
stroke increments over the course of 13 weeks. Do you
understand this?”

“Yes,” she answered quietly, her eyes down, remembering

full well the consequences of failing to answer out loud.
Jason gently lifted her chin with his finger until she was
looking at him again; “yes what?” he prompted.

“Yes, sir,” she corrected herself.

Jason smiled, “good girl” he praised.

He released her chin and went on. “For the next 14 weeks,
you are going to be a little more restricted than is usual for
normal probation. This is standard whenever additional
consequences have been ordered, such as the strapping,
that are for a limited period of time. You will have a 6 pm
curfew and are required to be in the house from 6pm until 7
am daily. Exceptions can be made if needed but will only be
granted on a case-by-case basis.” He took out a bracelet
and held it up so Catherine could see it.

“You are going to be required to wear this tracking bracelet

until the completion of the strapping sentence. You are not
restricted in any way by distance; you are not under house
arrest. The bracelet simply tracks your location to make sure
you are going only where allowed and that you are in the
house by curfew and that you remain in the house as
required. The bracelet is waterproof and you will not be able
to remove it by any normal means; it will be removed
following the final strapping in the courtroom. Give me your
left hand.”

Catherine lifted her left hand; Jason saw that it was shaking.
He put the bracelet around her wrist and closed the clasp,
holding her hand for a moment and talking gently. “As you
can see, the bracelet looks like just another piece of jewelry.
Since no two bracelets ever look alike, no one will know
exactly what it is unless you tell them. “ He patted her hand,
let go and went on.

“The weekly strokes will be administered each Friday

evening using the same type of strap used for the first 20
strokes. One important thing to remember here is that while
I have no control over the last 20 strokes you will receive at
the end of the sentence, I do have some leeway in the
severity of the intervening strokes. What this means is that,
if I feel your behavior throughout the week has been
satisfactory, I can use my judgment as to just how hard
those strokes are going to be. As a warning, if you fail to
maintain good behavior, those 20 strokes will be memorable
and it won’t matter just how many times you’ve been
spanked throughout the week.”

Catherine sat in silence, her face pale, and Jason could see
she was trying to take this all in. He gentled his voice a little
as he continued.
“For now, your list of rules is relatively simple and mostly
common sense. As time goes on, I may add more rules in
order to address potential problems and it is possible to
have more specific rules removed or modified if the situation
warrants. I admit you are going to feel pretty penned in for
the next few months, but, after that time, some of these
rules will relax. The big ones aren’t unusual. No lying or
swearing, no smoking, which you don’t do anyway but I
have to say it, and limit your alcohol consumption,
preferably only to those times you are at home. As I already
told you, you have a curfew of 6pm nightly and are required
to remain in the house until 7am on following mornings. You
are required to carry your cell at all times when you are
outside of the house, and when you are home, the cell will
remain on the charger. You will maintain a respectful
demeanor to anyone in a position of authority and will
address them as sir or ma’am as appropriate. You will obey
all driving rules and that especially includes a seatbelt and
not using your cell, AT ALL, while the car is in motion. If you
feel a burning need to use that cell in the car, pull over and
stop. If you have a hands-free device, it will be getting
removed. ” His voice hardened here, “understood?” he
asked.

“Yes sir,” she answered quietly, looking up at him for the

first time since this little chat had started.

He sighed a little at the look on her face. “I didn’t mean to

sound so hard just then. The cell phone use in a moving car
is a big pet peeve of mine and I’ve had friends hurt because
another driver wasn’t paying attention and caused a couple
of serious accidents. One other driving issue involves
drinking and driving. I don’t think I need to tell you what
would happen if you get pulled over and have been
drinking,” Catherine swallowed hard; she didn't have to
guess.

“You are allowed out of the house at will within the

restrictions of your curfew hours. All I ask is that you let me
know, in general, your plans for the day. I don’t need an
exact minute-by-minute detail but just want to be able to
find you if it becomes necessary. If your plans change or if
you are running behind schedule and are going to be late,
then call. I’ve already programmed my numbers into your
cell. If I don’t pick up for whatever reason, a voicemail is
fine. As part of your sentence you are required to return to
classes to start work on your undergrad degree. You already
know you have an appointment with the academic counselor
at the university. Undergrads are required to maintain at
least a 2.0 GPA, however, I require that you maintain at
least a 3.0 or an 85. Any grade below those levels, in any
single assignment or exam, is going to result in a spanking
unless some mitigating factor comes to light."

Catherine looked up again. “My question here is how am I

supposed to pay for classes when I don’t even have a job?
My savings was just about wiped out on the legal fees and I
still owe restitution, not to mention just normal living
expenses plus an extra person in the house.”
Jason nodded, “a valid question, for which I have a good
answer,” he teased. There are many programs out there
that grant scholarships or grants to students. Your
paperwork was submitted to several groups and the
university you are going to be attending has offered you a
full scholarship for the first two years of your undergrad
program. After that, we will address the problem if a
solution hasn’t already presented itself. As for the
restitution, Judge Samuels arranged for the court to pay the
merchant and you will be required to reimburse the court
once you have a job. Since you will be in classes, you are
only required work part-time. As for the living expenses,
since I am living here under court order as your guardian,
the court will pay a monthly stipend; think of it as my room
and board,” he smiled. “I do have a job so my income will
also be used to help with expenses. You are not, and never
were, required to pick up the tab for my living here.”

He looked down at his notes. “One final point here and this
one is not going to be comfortable, but, it is going to let you
know what you can expect if you break rules. I don’t
necessarily use spanking as a first line of punishment, not
when there are other things, restriction, loss of privileges
and so on. For several offenses, however, I can guarantee a
spanking. Lying, swearing and disrespect, as you found out,
will guarantee a sore bottom as will any driving offenses and
low grades; I will use my judgment on anything else. What
you need to understand is that you will be allowed to tell
your side of things. I am not an ogre but I will have your
cooperation and yes, obedience. If I decide a spanking is
warranted, there won’t be any way for you to get out of it.
Okay, I think I have covered the basics. Do you have any
other questions for me?”

“Not right now, but I may later. You’ve been pretty clear in
things. I can’t say I am entirely comfortable here. I’ve lived
alone for these past few years and have been able to go my
own way. I know the theft was wrong but at the time I
didn’t see a choice. I’ll pay the price but I am not about to
grovel,” she stated firmly.

Jason wanted to smile, he had to admit she had spunk and

her previous nervousness seemed to have faded. “Fair
enough,” he said.
“Ariana will be here in time for lunch. Feel free to visit with
her as long as you like and talk about anything you want.
She is going to be checking in with you on a routine basis
anyway but I know you two are close. I have to run into the
office for a little while and check on some things. I’ll be back
around dinnertime.” He noticed Catherine was still looking
very unhappy and he did his best to cheer her up a bit.
“Catherine, its going to be OK. You made a mistake but it
doesn’t have to be the end of things. No matter what you
are feeling right now, you’re smart, you have a good head
on your shoulders and you will be fine. I am here to help
you get things back on track and if you need it, I am a good
listener,” he smiled.
Catherine smiled back, acknowledging what he was saying.
“I’ll be alright. I just need time to assimilate everything."

Jason stood up and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I’ll

see you later. Take it easy today, relax, enjoy your visit with
Ariana.”

Catherine watched as Jason went out the door. Her eyes

caught the tracking bracelet and she gently turned it on her
wrist and sighed. Picking up the coffee cups, she turned her
mind to lunch and Ariana’s visit. They had a lot to talk
about.