The Rules

Written By: D’be-D’be


Johnny Gage had a dilemma; he had done what Captain Stanley suggested. He took a piece of paper and began to write down some of the rules he thought he could follow in their disciplinary relationship. But try as he might, he couldn’t think of anything he had ever done wrong that would warrant a spanking. He asked Stanley for his list and was surprised to see three points on it. ‘Geez, he’s being picky,’ Gage thought. ‘I’m not that bad, am I?’ With papers in hand, he went to seek out a fellow Brat. He found Mike Stoker shining up ‘Big Red’ as he liked to call the fire truck.

“Hi Mike,” Gage spoke as he sauntered up Station 51’s Engineer. “Do you have a minute to discuss something with me?”

“Sure, Johnny, what’s up?”

Gage still couldn’t phantom how this soft spoken, even-mannered individual could ever be considered a Brat, but he guessed there were parts of his personality he kept hidden to everyone but Roy .

“Uh Mike, can we go somewhere private? I need to ask you a few questions.”

“Okay, let’s go into the Cap’s office. He’s in the kitchen helping Marco with dinner so it’s unoccupied.”

Gage followed Stoker into the office and closed the door behind them. After Mike made himself comfortable on the corner of Stanley’s desk, Gage handed him the two lists of rules. “Mike, I don’t know if you and Roy made a list, but the Cap asked me to write down what I think would constitute a spanking and I can’t think of anything. Plus, the Cap has a few things listed that I don’t agree with.”

“Let’s take a look see,” Stoker replied, taking the lists from Gage. He read Stanley’s list over and began to smile to himself.

“What do you find so amusing?” Gage asked.

“How the Cap has it right on the money.”

“What does that mean?” Gage began to get agitated.

“He states you should get disciplined when you show bratty behaviour and I certainly agreed with that.”

“Bratty behaviour? I don’t behave like a brat. What are you talking about, Stoker?” Gage was getting more agitated by the second.

“Oh really; just listen to yourself. Every time you hear something that you don’t like or something happens you don’t agree with, you get real snappy and moody.”

“I do not! Just name one time that I did that.”

“Okay, what about the time you got a credit card bill in the mail that stated you owed eighty dollars instead of eight. Roy told you to write the company a letter, but did you listen? No, you got on the phone and tried to straighten things up, but of course you just made it worse. The card company representative stated you now owed them eight hundred dollars. You ranted and raved and drove us all nuts. Then you became sullen and snapped at everyone; bratty behaviour. And what about the time your pay check was wrong. You wouldn’t let the Cap straighten out for you. You said you could deal with it yourself and you ended up without a pay check for another two weeks. Man, you put everyone through hell that time. Oh yeah, what about the time…..”

“Okay, okay, you made your point. Maybe I do behave a little bratty sometimes,” Gage conceded.

“A little?” Stoker asked.

“Fine! I act like a brat a lot of the time,” Gage stated. “I guess the Cap was right in putting that down. I’ll add that one to my list. But what about the jealous bit? I’m not jealous, am I?”

“Well I don’t know if I’d call in jealousy, but you are over-competitive at times. You want to be number one at everything. When you hear about something another Station or Paramedic has done, you try and out do them to a point where you get anxious and have difficulty sleeping.”

Gage just let out a sigh and added ‘too competitive behaviour’ to his list. Finally Gage asked about the last rule. “Getting carried away with things?”

“Now come on, Johnny, you can’t deny you don’t go overboard when an idea strikes you. Like the time you decided you were going to join the rodeo circuit on your days off. You rented a horse and hired a guy to help you get in shape and all you accomplished was a sore backside for two or three days. And what about the time you tried to invent a better dispatch system? You were sure you would get a medal of a promotion on that one.”

“Gee Mike,” Gage mumbled as he put the last point that was Stanley’s list onto his paper to join the others. “I guess I do need a strong hand.”

“Well I’m sure you and the Cap can come up with levels of punishment for levels of behaviour. For example, take Roy and me. Say I break the number one rule which is keeping things bottled up, I get a spanking. But if I break a minor rule like hitting the snooze button one too many times and just make to the station on time, that might warrant lines or corner time.”

“I get it and that makes sense. So I won’t necessarily get spanked for every rule broken?”

“No, but that’s up to you and the Cap to decided which rule breakage goes with what punishment,” Mike informed his friend. “Oh and by the way,” he continued. “I didn’t see anything on your lists about lying or keeping things bottled up. Do you guys have that rule as well?”

“Oh yeah, we both agreed on that one the other night. These rules you saw today are what can be worked out and discussed. That first one is not up for discussion,” Gage told Stoker

Stoker laughed out loud. “Yeah, I know what that’s all about.”

“Mike, is it all right if I ask you a real personal question?”

“Sure, ask your question and if I find it to personal, I won’t answer it.”

“You seem so put together, do you ever get spanked?”

“Oh yeah, didn’t you notice the other morning how I had trouble sitting for morning coffee. Sometimes I suffer from a lack of confidence in my ability as an Engineer. I get really worried at a fire scene that I won’t give you guys enough pressure in the hoses or I misread the dials. So if it’s a particular bad fire I get worked up and then I can’t sleep because I get running ‘what if’s’ in my mind over and over again. Roy can read the worry and my feelings of inadequacy in my eyes and he realizes I didn’t discuss that particular incident with him, so over his knees I go.”

“Does he spank hard?”

“Hard enough!” Stoker chuckled. “But then he holds me and we talk and all is forgiven.”

“I think I’m starting to understand how this is going to work,” Gage replied.

“Give it time and remember that communication is the key. If the Cap is spanking you too hard or if he uses an implement like a brush or belt and you don’t want him to, let him know. Having a Top taking care of you can be a wonderful and freeing experience if you give him the power, but remember that you as the Brat also have a say in how the relationship will work, so work it out right at the beginning to avoid trouble in the future.”

“Thanks, Mike, I really appreciate your time and patience, and it’s nice to know there’s somebody I can go to if I need any questions answered or just to have someone to talk to.”

“Anytime, friend, and I also want to state I am so pleased that I too, finally have a fellow Brat to communicate with.”

Their conversation was complete when they heard a slight tap on the door and saw Captain Stanley coming through the doorway. “Hi, fellows, can I have my office back?” he asked.

Stoker left but Gage stayed behind and handed his list to Stanley. The Captain read it over and with a pleased look on his face, took Gage in his arms for a warm embrace and a kiss. “I’m so glad you agreed with me on all my points, kiddo. Now in the next few days we’ll discuss methods and level of discipline, okay?”

“That will be great, Hank. When do you think we’ll be able to get together again? Your wife and kids are back in town and I can’t stay at your house any more, so what can we do?”

“Well as a matter of fact, my wife just informed me that we have termites and the exterminator is coming this Friday. So she and the kids are going on a nature retreat with the PTA, but since I have to work, I told her I couldn’t go. I said I would be staying at a hotel or asking one of you guys if I could move in with him for a few days.”

“Oh, Cap, that’s perfect. I’ll tell you that since I was your houseguest for few days, I would love to return the favour and the guys will never suspect a thing.”

“That’s what I figured out as well,” Stanley replied as he planted another kiss on Gage’s willing lips. “Okay, let’s get back to work before Kelly gets curious to why I have you in here.”

Gage reluctantly slipped out of his lover’s arms and joined Roy in cleaning the squad. Stanley, after placing the rules list in his wallet, grabbed his clipboard and called everyone together for a hose drill.

Gage and Stoker’s eyes met and a mutual understanding was passed between the two Brats. Gage knew this was going to be a great day and he started counting the days until Friday. ‘Thank God for termites,’ he thought as he grabbed a hose off the truck to follow the others outside for the drill.

The End