Author's Note: This story takes place in the past when Lenore is 4 and Breanna is 9.

Coming Out of the Closet

Four-year-old Lenore Stabler stood in her shared room holding a puzzle box in her hand. She shared the room with her nine-year-old sister, Breanna. It was after dinner, and time for them to clean up their room. It was a rule. They'd been told if they cleaned and got done early, they could go to the park for a little bit. She was humming, as she put her toys away. She was always happy to help!

Breanna, on the other hand, was a grump. She was ready to go to the park and didn't want to clean her stupid room first. Cleaning was dumb! She threw the legos into their box as she pouted, finally folding her arms and huffing. "I hate cleaning!" she pouted.

Lenore paused midst her cleaning to eye her big sister warily. "Daddy say we clean, den park!" She reminded her.

"Yeah, but this is going to take foreverrrrr," she whined, closing the box and throwing it into the closet. That's when she got an idea. "Or, we could just put it all in the closet!" she exclaimed. "Come on, Lenore, let's do that! Then we can go to the park sooner!"

"O'tay!" Lenore agreed readily. Anything for the park!

Bre picked up all the dolls and clothes that they had strolled about on the floor and shoved them into the closet. "Here, hand me that," she said to her sister.

Lenore handed her the puzzle eagerly, then raced around to find more things to hand off to her sister.

Within minutes, the room appeared to be spotless -- the girls had successfully piled everything behind the closet door, closing it before anything spilled out. "Now we can go!" Bre yelped.

"Yay!" Lenore cheered, clapping her hands excitedly.

"Mommy!" shouted Bre. "Daddy! We're ready!" She took her sister's hand and ran out of the room down the hall, towards the kitchen where their parents were putting away dishes.

"All done!" Lenore agreed, nodding her head, laughing as she ran with her sister.

Kathy turned and smiled at her two little girls, whom she loved dearly. "Get your shoes on, sweethearts."

"Done already?" Elliot asked, skeptical of the quick manner in which the room had become magically clean. The girls ignored him, though, and ran to the living room to put on their shoes. "I don't know about those girls sometimes," he said to his wife, closing the cabinet. He gave her a kiss on the top of the head and went to meet the girls. "Don't forget your jackets," he called.

"I's can'ts do its," Lenore pouted, her shoelaces still undone. "Dey won'ts goes togethers."

Kathy laughs softly. "Oh, El. They're just children, let them be. They only stay small for a little while." She followed him, after hanging up the dish towel.

"I'll do it," Bre said, taking her little sister's foot and tying her shoelaces.

Lenore watches in awe, as her sister ties her shoes for her. "Wow! You's good!"

"Lots of practice."

"Here are your jackets girl," Kathy says, watching them from the living room doorway.

"Tank-you!" Lenore smiles.

Both girls eagerly went to their mother, allowing her to help them get their jackets on. She was the more lenient of their parents - she'd let them push the limits a little more than their father did, but if they did wrong, she'd spank them herself, or tell them to go to their room and wait for their father to get home from work. If you asked either of them though, they'd much rather be spanked by their mother....Though she very rarely did. Breanna could could count on one hand, how many times her mother had actually spanked her. And Lenore, well, she couldn't even count at all.

Soon as they had their jackets on, they raced for the front door, their parents following behind them. The girls giggled as they hurried down the street to the park. It was on the same street as their house, so there wasn't any roads for them to have to worry about crossing.

Elliot and Kathy followed along behind their children, holding hands, and talking to one another softly.

They reached the park and both girls ran off towards the play structure, calling for their father to come join them.

Elliot kissed his wife, whom laughed, as she watched him run off after the girls.

Bre ran to the swings first, giggling and shouting "Daddy! Push me!!"

Elliot hurried over and grabbed the chains of the swing, lifting it high above his head, and letting it go.

Lenore had climbed up onto the play structure with the slides on it. She happily went down the little ones for awhile, but then wanted to try the big slide. She climbed to the top, where it was, and froze suddenly, feeling scared.

"Wheeeeeee!!" Bre squealed, soaring through the air, wind blowing her hair back. She pumped her legs as best as she could, but still allowed her Daddy to push her every now and then. Elliot chuckled, as he did so, until he noticed his littlest one crying on the top of the big slide.

Lenore sat there, her face puckered up, as she cried. She wanted to be a big girl and go down the big girl slide, but it was so high up! What if she fell?

Kathy suddenly appeared behind the little one then, and pulled her into her lap. "What's wrong Sweetheart?" She asked, smoothing the little girl's hair back form her face.

"I's scared...." Lenore cried, burying her face into her mother, seeking the comfort that was being given. "It too high."

Kathy kissed her head lovingly, and rubbed her back. "What if I go down with you? Would that make it less scary?"

Lenore nodded quietly, glancing up at her mother, her hazel eyes still filled with tears. "Pwease?"

Kathy moved them so Lenore was in her lap, and held onto her tightly. "Are you ready?"

"Yesth..." Lenore whispered in a tiny voice after a moment.

"Again! Again!" Lenore insisted, smiling now. "Again, Mommy!"

Kathy laughed, and took the little one back up to go down the slide again. Eventually Kathy and Lenore, joined Elliot and Breanna on the swings.

The girls played a little more until it started getting too dark, and Elliot said it was time to go.

"Awww, but we wanna play longerrr!" Bre whined.

"Not tonight," Elliot said, taking her hand.

Lenore sat down in the sand, pouting, her arms crossed over her chest. "No. We's pway now!"

Kathy stooped down to Lenore and said, "Lenore, honey, you know it's time to go. Now let's act like a big girl and go home like Daddy said."

"Buts Mom-myyyyyyyy..............." Lenore whined, sticking her lower lip out further in her pout. "We's wanna pway."

She sighed and Elliot walked towards her. "Lenore, it's time to go," he said firmly. "Now."

"No," Lenore replied evenly, scowling up at him. It was near her bedtime, and sometines near bedtime she got cranky.

Elliot, not one to have unlimited patience like his wife, grabbed Lenore by the arm and planted three firm swats on her bottom.

Lenore immediately wailed, and started to sob, her one little hand flying back. "Mom-myyyyyyyyyyyyy!" She cried.

Kathy said not a word, as she scooped the sobbing child up into her arms, ignoring her husband's Look. He often chastised her for being too soft with the girls, but these were her babies!

Lenore buried her face into her mother's neck, crying her crocodile tears, as they began to head home.

Elliot shook his head, and holding Breanna's hand once more, followed his wife and youngest child home.

Once home, Kathy calmly instructed Breanna to get ready for bed, as they had a big day ahead of them tomorrow. They were going to be going someplace special as a surprise, which was why they needed to go to bed so early.

Breanna was excited for the next day, so she did as she'd been told, especially since her Daddy had promised to read them two stories instead of just one!

Kathy got Lenore bathed and dressed into her pajamas, then tucked into her bed. Sure Lenore had put up a fuss, but she had a mother's touch, and knew how to calm the small one down.

Lenore lie in her bed, scowling after her mother, who had disappeared the hall to allow Elliot some time with the girls. Kathy was a stay-at-home Mom, and she felt it necessary to give her Police Officer husband as much time with the girls as she could.

Breanna lie in her bed, waiting for their Daddy to come. She knew her mother would've told them they were ready for him, when she went down the hall.

Elliot came in smiling, as for once his oldest had not put up a fuss about going to bed early. "So what stories shall we read tonight, ladies?"

"Turtles!" Lenore insisted, referring to her favourite book - Teenage Mutnant Ninja Turtles: ABC's For A Better Planet.

"Bre?" Elliot asked, glancing at his oldest.

"Peter Pan!"

Elliot nodded, and grabbed both books from their bookshelf.

Elliot took a seat on Lenore's bed, and Breanna climbed out of hers and joined them on Lenore's bed. They usually had this arrangement, as Lenore was usually first to fall asleep.

Breanna snuggled up against her father on his right, while Lenore snuggled up on his left.

Elliot opened up the Turtles book, and read that, then started in on Peter Pan when he had ifnished. Much to his surprise, both his little girls were still awake at the end of the stories. Breanna he had expected, as she usually went to bed a little later, but Lenore was still clinging on stubbornly, not wanting to sleep just yet.

He tucked Breanna into her bed, after tucking Lenore in. He was just leaving the room, when his littlest called out to him. "Daddy, I'm cold!"

"Daddy'll get you another blanket then, Kiddo," Elliot replied, heading for the girls' closet.

Breanna watched, biting her lip anxiously. She'd forgotten they'd shoved all their things in there carelessly.

Elliot opened the closet door, only to have toys, books, puzzles, and clothes fall down upon him.

He stood there motionless for a moment, taking deep breaths and counting to himself in an effort to calm his irritation at the situation. Bre, on the other hand, was trying to hold in her giggles, but they wouldn't stay in, and before she knew it she was rolling on the floor with laughter.

Lenore peeked out, hearing her sister laugh. She glanced over and giggled some too - mostly because her sister was doing it.

Elliot turned around. "Would either of you like to explain this to me?"

"We's cleaned, Daddy," Lenore answered innocently. "Bwe said it makes rwoom clean faster."

Bre swallowed her laughter as Elliot towered over them now, an angry look on his face. "We were in a hurry. You just said to pick up our room... you didn't say to clean the closet..."

"Nobody see da cwoset!" Lenore chimed in, still giggling, unaware their father was angry. She hugged her teddy bear Mr. Stuffles. "An' Daddy, I's still cold...."

Kathy, having heard all of the commotion in the girls' room, now poked her head in side. "Honey, what happened?" She asked.

"Seems these two young ladies decieved us," Elliot replied, pointing to the mess that now lie upon their floor, in front of the closet. "Apparently, cleaning is throwing things inside a closet, leaving it to dangerously fall on some unsuspecting person."

Lenore looked at him, a confused expression upon her small face. What did all these big words mean?

Breanna chimed in "but you said clean the room, not clean the closet," she whined. Elliot looked down at her. "You're both getting a spanking for this. You know that cleaning your room means putting things in their place, not shoving them all in the closet."

Lenore's eyes went wide and filled with tears, as she dove under her covers for protection. Her sister had said it was okay to throw everything in the closet!

"Elliot....." Kathy spoke softly, not wanting to undermine him, but really also wanting to protect her babies from a spanking. "Is it really necessary?"

"Yes, the girls know that when given a chore, they must do it right, or there must be a consequence. This isn't the first time we've warned them about cleaning their room right."

"But Daddy, we're sorry!" Bre shrieked, crying. "We'll do it better next time!"

Lenore could be heard crying under her blankets.

Kathy sighed. "If you must....I will be down the hall." She paused. "Girls, please don't fight your father on this. Trust that he loves you...." She kissed Breanna's head, and patted the lump that was Lenore under her covers, then left the room.

Elliot sighed and said, "Okay, Breanna, you're first."

Bre cried more, but followed her Daddy's directions.

Elliot took her over his lap, and pulled her pajama bottoms down. "You're the oldest Breanna, and you know disregarding rules and doing your chores wrong is unacceptable," he lectured, as he brought his hand down on her small bottom with a loud SMACK.

He gave her some stinging swats to her sit-spots and upper thighs. "You are supposed to show your sister right from wrong, young lady."

Breanna kicked and squirmed over his lap, as he began to spank her harder. Why did she always land herself into this position? Why?

"Daddyyyyy, I'm sorryyyy!" she wailed, kicking and crying loudly. "I won't do it againnnnn!"

"You had better not, or your next spanking will be worse!" Elliot stated firmly, as he peppered her bottom with a flurry of hard spanks. "I expect more from you, Breanna."

"Owwwwiesssss, yes sirrrrr!"

"And you are NOT to convince your little sister to do wrong either!" Elliot added, smacking her sit-spot harder than he had before.

By this time, Breanna was bawling and promising him that she would behave, legs kicking like crazy.

Elliot finished up the spanking, then scooped his oldest into his arms, hugging her tightly.

She sniffled, burying her face into his chest. "Daddy, I'm sorry," she cried.

"I know, Baby," Elliot soothed. "I know." He kissed her head, and rocked her a little, before gently lying her on her bed.

She let him tuck her in, then he moved over to Lenore, who had poked her head out of the blankets to watch her older sister get spanked, but now was hiding again. "Lenore," he said, taking the blankets off of her.

Lenore looked up at him pouting, her eyes filling with tears. It was her very best puppy-dog look. Her lower lip also trembled slightly.

He took a deep breath in, then sat down on her bed. He knew that he had to take a different approach with his youngest, more sensitive child. It was difficult sometimes, but he did what he could. "You remember last week when Daddy helped you clean your room?"

Lenore nodded slightly, after thinknig for a moment. "Uh-huhs...."

"And when we cleaned the room, did we just put everything into the closet?"

"No...." Lenore trailed off, shaking her head, as a couple tears slipped down her small face.

"What did we do with it?"

"We's putted 'em backs where dey goes," Lenore answered softly. "Dey gots homes to goes backs too."

"That's right. So why did you not tell Breanna that today whenever you were cleaning the room?"

"'Cause Bwe saids we's goes park faster, an' I's weally wanted to goes pway....." Lenore explained softly.

"Sweetie, your job was to clean your room first, then go to the park. You did not do your job right, and you told us you did. That's lying."

"But Bwe say it o'tay...." Lenore whimpered. "Dey didn'ts wanna goes home today, Daddy."

"I did not!" Bre shouted from her side of the room.

"You saids to puts 'em in da cwoset!" Lenore argued back. "Dat means it o'tay, 'cause YOU saids so."

Elliot interjected, "Enough!" He sighed and looked at Lenore. "If your sister tells you something different than what Mommy or Daddy tell you, then you are to ask us first. You knew that Lenore; you're getting a spanking."

"Buts Dad-dyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!" Lenore wailed, her tears falling freely now. "Dats no fair! I's don' wants one!"

"You know better than to behave like this," he said finally, knowing that she would not be as obedient as her older sister about getting over his lap. "Come on, kiddo, over my lap," he began, taking her arm and helping her across.

Lenore struggled with him, shrieking, as she tried to get away.

Elliot held her down as best as he could. "Lenore, I'm sad that you would lie to Mommy and me about cleaning your room," he said firmly.

"I's sorry!" Lenore insisted, still struggling some.

"I'm glad to hear that," he said, giving her some mild swats over her nightgown. "And I hope that you never lie to us again, or you will get spanked again, Young Lady, do you understand?"

"Yesth!" Lenore cried, not happy at all right now.

He gave her a few final swats, seeing that she was sufficiently sorry, and she would remember this lesson for a while. With that he picked her up, holding her tightly.

Lenore buried her face into her Daddy, sobbing. She didn't like spankings, not one bit!

Kathy entered the room, moments later, as she'd heard the spankings stop. It was motherly instinct to ensure her girls were all right, though she knew Elliot would never seriously harm them.

Elliot kissed Lenore on the forehead then tucked her into bed. "Goodnight girls," he said.

Lenore snuggled with Mr. Stuffles, and closed her eyes tiredly.

Kathy kissed her youngest child's head, then moved over to her eldest child.

"Night, Mommy," Bre said, giving her a hug and kiss.

"Night Baby, I love you," Kathy replied, hugging her tightly and kissing her forehead. "Get some rest. We're leaving early in the morning."

Once sure that both girls were in bed for the night, Kathy followed Elliot out of the room, and down the hall to theirs. She was glad to have married such a loving man, who only wanted what was best for their two little girls.