Standing outside the closed study door, Danny turned ashen as he raised a hand to knock. Glancing sideways at his brother, who although rather green, gave an encouraging nod, he sighed. This visit was the result of three hours of intense discussion and planning between the siblings as the lazy Sunday afternoon had unfolded in the layers below Jamie's childhood bedroom. Deciding to come clean had not been an easy process, but both Reagan's knew that it was the decision they were always going to arrive at. There was nothing worse than that layer of thick guilt that coated their stomachs when they were hiding something from their father. Swallowing deeply, Danny jerked himself into action and rapped on the solid oak door sharply. Both waited with bated breath, instantly regretting their decision, for the calm "come in" to waft through the door. When it did, Danny strategically placed his younger brother behind him and led the way into the lion's den.

Looking up from his usual Sunday reports, Frank raised a brow at the sight of his green tinged sons'.

"Everything ok, boys? You look a little…peaky."

Leaning back in the leather chair, behind the mahogany desk, Frank felt his radar signalling. Chewing the lens of his glasses, as he always did when perplexed, he indicated the two chairs in front of his desk. Looking at the chairs with justified dislike, both Jamie and Danny took a deep breath and deposited themselves where ordered. "Why don't you just come out and say what's bothering you?" Frank asked gently, "Is it something to do with the job? Because you know I'd rather those sort of conversations took place at 1PP." Starting expectantly, he watched in concern as the colour drained from Danny's face. He seemed to be battling with himself, fighting to find the words. But he never got the chance because his younger brother suddenly exploded with dynamite like force beside him.

"We're the ones who scratched your car! It was us…it was all us."

Danny closed his eyes slowly. The news was always going to be bad, but it was doubly bad when suddenly shrieked from the golden boy, with no prior warning. He watched as confusion splashed across his father's face, mingled with concern, before finally contorting into anger. Breathing deeply, Frank glanced down at the desktop in order to calm himself. He should have known. He had been too emotionally distraught over the sight of his mutilated baby to see the obvious. "Blow by blow, what happened, right now," he barked. "Don't leave anything out, I will know if you do." He glared at the two of them, his eyes steaming over with rage. "Now!" Stones of horror dropped into the pits of both Jamie and Danny's guts, but it was the elder who took the lead.

The story came out in halting, nervous and at times downright stuttered, bursts.

Frank's eyes narrowed and widened in equal measure. But at the point where Danny stumbled over the tiny collision that caused the infernal scratch in the first place, his nostrils flared dangerously. Jamie, seeing this, felt a sheen of sweat pop at his temples. If there was one thing Frank couldn't abide, was any of them being in any unnecessary danger, no matter how slim. Danny also seemed to see the flared nasal movement, and hurried over that part to finish up the entire tale of woe, before falling glumly silent. As he snapped his mouth shut and a pressing silence filtered around the room, Frank struggled to believe what his ears were telling him. "You are telling me that you took my car for a joyride, in the middle of the night, damaged it and blatantly lied by omission to me about it? Is that what you are telling me?"

Frank wasn't a shouter, but his voice definitely rose an octave as his eyes flashed angrily.

Danny and Jamie winced.

"Yes," they mumbled, hanging their heads and examining their nail beds. Groaning loudly, Frank dropped his head into his hands and stared at the darkness within. It was either that, or he was going to take those hands and wrap them around his sons' throats. He allowed himself a soothing moment, several soothing moment as it transpired, before lifting his head back into the abyss of his two very guilty looking boys. Anger bubbled within him, but he kept a firm lid on it. Taking a huge lungful of air, he leaned forwards in his chair and watched as his eldest and youngest took an equal leaning back in theirs. Crossing his arms across his chest, he worked very hard to keep his voice level, which was easier than expected, the disappointment he felt dripped in every word, muting his cadence.

"Of all the irresponsible, immature and downright juvenile nonsense you could have pulled."

He glowered. "You are grown men, and you get such a craving for ice cream in the middle of the night that you take it upon yourselves to effectively steal my car, take her for a ride, damage her and lie to my face in the process? Have you lost your minds? Have you finally taken leave of your senses? You are officers of the law and you act like incorrigible children? Is that the best I can expect from you after the blood, sweat and tears your mother and I put into raising you? I never have to deal with any of this nonsense from your sister. I don't even have to deal with this nonsense from your children, Daniel, or you two geniuses' teenage niece. To say I am disgusted is an understatement. You ought to be just as ashamed of yourselves as I am of you, which is mightily ashamed. Mightily ashamed indeed."

Suddenly he stood and crossed round the desk, perching on the side of it, knee to knee with his sons.

"You know how I feel about you two taking things that aren't yours. I have drummed that lesson into you since you could walk. You know better than to touch a thing that you don't own and you certainly know better than to lie to my face when you know you've done wrong. I raised two fine young men, not two cowards. You ought to have told me in that driveway this morning exactly what happened, but instead, you acted like a pair of kindergarteners who didn't want to get kept in at recess." He stood once more, glaring down at his recalcitrant sons', both of whom were thinking about the merits of sprinting from the room. "You know my mantra. If nothing else, you know that. So, it's no surprise that I'm going to repeat myself. If you act like a child, I will treat you like a child."

He jerked his hands upwards.

"Stand. The pair of you."

With leaden legs and heavy hearts, Jamie and Danny clambered awkwardly to their feet. Deciding quickly, Frank pointed to an all too familiar corner for both offsprings. "Jamison. Get your behind in the corner. I'll deal with you when I'm finished with your brother. Nose first, move it, now." Feeling himself both pale and flush at the same time, Jamie shot Danny a look of utter despair before trudging towards the corner that had housed him many times over the years. Not wasting time or words, Frank rolled up his sleeves and pointed to the shiny desk. "Daniel. Get your backside bared and over that desk. You'll do it in two seconds if you know what's good for you." Not looking to see would he be obeyed, he crossed round to his desk and fumbled in the top drawer, extracting a small, but very thick, wooden paddle.

By the time he straightened up, Danny had done as he was bid, his head buried in his arms.

There were no more words spoken as Frank placed the comforting and restraining hand on the small of his eldest's back. Within the blink of an eye, the first and highly concentrated lick had landed with a crack. Within the blink of two eyes, the paddling was well and truly underway. The small paddle in Frank's hand was no stranger to either intended behind and it had no trouble finding its way around. Danny's behind went from a pasty pale to a fiery red within a few minutes under the paddle's corrective measures. Frank didn't hold back, but this was to be a fast and sharp lesson. He didn't expect tears and he wasn't looking for them. He was merely looking for penance.

And he got it by the bucket load.

When he ordered Danny up from the desk, looking away as he righted his clothing, his oldest son's behind was a burning amber. His eyes were damp but far from teary, and his face was flushed but not contorted with pain. Moving closer, Frank pulled him into his arms and ran a gentle hand through his hair. "No more night time spins for ice cream in my car Danny, you got it?" Smiling with a slight snuffle, Danny nodded ruefully. Squeezing his shoulder with a nod, Frank cleared his throat and let his voice carry. "Jamison. Swap places with your bother. It's your turn." He shook his head slightly at Danny's pleading look, bicker like fiends though they might, his eldest always had his youngest's back. The two brother's passed by each other like very reluctant ships in the night, until Danny was stood in the corner and Jamie in front of his father.

"Hey."

Frank raised a brow.

"Hey indeed." He gestured at Jamie's jeans. "Same deal as Danny. Get them down and get your bare butt over that desk." He looked away so as not to be affected by the puppy dog eyes that were shining in his direction and to give the kid some privacy to adjust his clothing. When the rustling and dejected sigh met his ears, he turned back to his son and placed the same hand on the small of his back as he had done Danny. Not wasting any time, he set about delivering the same sharp lesson. Jamie had always been more of a squirmer than his brother and Frank quickly found himself holding the boy in place as he efficiently blistered his behind. The pale skin quickly pinked and then reddened as the punishment progressed with pace. By the time the last lick landed, eliciting a wounded yelp, the backside under Frank's tutelage was thoroughly chastised.

He made a meal of putting the paddle back where it lived and Jamie used it to get to his feet.

Pulling his youngest to him with the same affection he had showed his eldest, Frank sighed into the wiry mop of hair. Like Danny, Jamie's eyes were only damp but it was clear the rapid paddling had done its job. Rubbing a hand up and down the slim back, Frank released Jamie with a soft smile. "That car is never to be taken out without me or my permission again or you'll find yourself averse to sitting for a long, long time. That clear kiddo?" Nodding ruefully, Jamie sniffed and rubbed his butt gingerly. "Crystal," he murmured. Snorting, Frank ruffled his hair before calling out to Danny to join them. Eying them both affectionately, Frank raised a brow as Danny also reached back to rub the sting out of his behind. A sly smile spread across the patriarchs lips as he quirked a brow in questioning.

"You two fancy some ice-cream? I suddenly have a craving. I could drive all night for some."

Jamie and Danny exchanged withering looks and spoke, as they did growing up, in tandem.

"We hate you."

…

FIN

…...