Alex stared in awe at the seemingly endless row of sorority mansions, all brightly decorated to celebrate the beginning of a new year, trying to decipher which one would be her home for the next four years, but in her apprehension they all seemed to look alike. She found herself feeling grateful that her sorority had matched her up with a Big Sister who would help guide her through college life. Alex glanced down at her watch nervously, knowing that she had just five minutes or she would be counted as late, and she had been told that tardiness was frowned upon.

"Hey, kid, are you lost?"

Alex spun around to see an African American girl straddling a bicycle and chewing gum. She was well-dressed and had a condescending air about her.

"Um, yeah, I'm looking for the Phi Delta Gamma sorority house."

"You pledged Phi Delta Gamma? Damn, you better be the golden girl if you don't want to get your ass beat off in that place, and I'm not talking about Sophia! I myself am a member of Beta Epsilon Kappa, and we don't associate with your kind, so bye!" the girl flipped her hair and rode off without another word.

"Great." Alex rolled her eyes and returned to her task, looking down at the piece of paper she held in her hand and back up at the row of houses. It took another twenty minutes for Alex to find where she was supposed to be. She raced up the front steps and through the front door, nearly plowing into a blonde girl carrying a notebook.

"Whoa! Where's the fire?!" The blonde girl laughed.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I'm Alexandra Cabot, but everyone calls me Alex. Well, except my grandmother. She's always called me Alexandra and she's really old so I've pretty much given up trying to get her to call me Alex. I know I'm late, but there are so many houses on this block, and then I ran into this really rude girl and all the houses look alike and…" Alex babbled nervously.

"Oh, right, Alex! We were starting to think maybe you weren't coming. I'm Amanda Rollins. Welcome to Phi Delta Gamma sorority house. I'm the 'house mom' here, for lack of a better term, and I'm the one who pairs all the incoming freshman with their Big Sisters. In your case, I've matched you up with… Olivia Benson. She's a sophomore this year and I know you two will hit it off great. I think she's in the kitchen at the moment, but before you meet her, I'll need you to come with me. I believe you were warned along with everyone else that tardiness is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated."

"Relax, Amanda, I'm here. She's my Little Sister; I'll take care of it."

Alex's jaw nearly hit the floor. There, coming into the foyer from what Alex assumed was the kitchen, was a drop-dead gorgeous brunette with striking brown eyes and a curvy but fit figure. Amanda recognized the look in Olivia's eye and just held her hands up in surrender; everyone knew not to mess with Olivia when she was claiming something as hers, and apparently Alex was now on that list.

"Whatever. I'll leave you in Liv's hands, then. I've got a million things to do before our first meeting tomorrow, so, again, welcome to Phi Delta Gamma. And Liv, welcome back." with that, Amanda was out the door.

"Amanda's a little uptight at the beginning of the year, but she's actually really nice. Anyway, as she said, I'm Olivia, or you can call me Liv. Let's go upstairs and I'll show you your room. Actually, it's kind of a good thing you were late because I needed a little extra time to finish decorating. Over there is the kitchen and dining room; feel free to raid the fridge any time. That's the living room; the TV is ginormous and we subscribe to Netflix if you're ever in a movie mood. Down that hall, we have our own gym if you're into fitness like me. The pool and tennis court are out back; you can check those out later if you want to. And this… is your room!" Olivia threw open the door with a flourish.

Olivia opened a door to reveal a spacious room filled with balloons, hand-made crafts, bows on the bedposts, flower petals on the bed, and a box of cupcakes sitting on the desk.

"Whoa! You did all this for me? But we just met, how'd you know you'd even like me?" Alex was genuinely touched.

"Call it a hunch. When I joined last year, I was scared to death. I was away from home for the first time and I didn't know anybody except my best friend Elliot Stabler, but obviously he couldn't pledge with me since he's a guy. My Big Sister surprised me by decorating my room and showering me with all of my favorite treats, although to this day I have no idea how on Earth she found out that skittles is my favorite candy. She made me feel special and a little less lonely. Now it's my turn to do the same for someone else, and that someone is you. A little birdie told me that you like cupcakes and that your favorite color is purple, hence the cupcakes and the purple balloons."

"Is your Big Sister still a member?"

"Yep. Her name is Kim and she's a junior this year. She had to run down to the campus library so she's not around at the moment, but you'll meet her later. Actually, she's looking to be a lawyer just like you. I myself, along with Elliot and Amanda, am working toward becoming a detective. I'll be working downtown at the 16th precinct when I graduate. So that's something that you and I have in common; we're both headed for careers in law enforcement."

"My grandmother was a lawyer, and so was her father and her grandfather, so I guess you could say it's in my blood. What made you want to be a detective?"

"Long story short, my mother was raped and got pregnant with me. I want to do my part to make sure the bastards who victimize other people see justice."

"Oh. I'm sorry. How did she handle it?"

"Not well," Olivia sighed, "when I was seventeen, I almost got married just to get away from her. Obviously, I didn't, but when the option of college presented itself, I came running."

"So, what's it like around here? Seems like a great place to live." Alex changed the subject since talking about her mother seemed to be making Olivia sad.

"It is. I like this sorority's core values; giving back to the community and being the best version of yourself you can be. There are other sororities on campus, like Beta Epsilon Kappa, who just want to party all the time. I like a good party every now and then just as much as the next person, but that's not what life is all about."

"I ran into one of the members of Beta Epsilon Kappa on my way here. She was an African American girl, about my height. She was quite rude, actually." Alex wrinkled her nose, and Olivia thought it was the most adorable thing she'd ever seen.

"Sounds like you ran into Francesca. She was kicked out last year because she kept getting in trouble for breaking the rules here. Last I heard, she was pledging Beta Epsilon Kappa. I guess she got in. Speaking of rules, I'm supposed to give you a run-down of the House Rules. Lets go to my room so I can show you where I'm at if you need me and then we'll have a talk."

"Well, I guess I already figured out that one of the rules is 'don't be tardy'. What was Amanda going to do to me? I mean, it's only the first day!" Alex got up from where she had been sitting on her bed and followed Olivia.

Olivia's room was decorated in soft shades of yellow and lavender. There was a scented candle on her desk, pictures covered the walls as well as her desk, and the sorority's greek letters were proudly displayed on the wall.

"Hey, Liv, have you seen Vivian?" a red-haired girl popped her head into Olivia's room.

"Uh… last I saw her, she was in the kitchen with me." Olivia shrugged.

"Thanks." the girl headed off toward the stairs.

"So have you gotten a copy of the Sorority Handbook yet?" Olivia asked Alex.

"No, not yet."

"That's odd, you should have been given one on the first day of Rush Week. Here's mine," Olivia picked up a book from her desk, "but I'm gonna need it back after you get your own copy."

"Thanks. I'll start reading it tonight."

"The first thing you need to know is that we don't expect perfection, because perfection doesn't exist. We are all human beings and we are going to screw up from time to time. What matters is taking responsibility for our actions. We do expect your best effort in everything you do, hence our saying be the best version of yourself you can be. You're expected to keep at least a B+ grade average, but I hear that you were a straight-A student in high school, so I'm not worried about your ability to keep up with your classes. If you find yourself needing extra help, the university has a very good tutoring program and can hook you up with a tutor, should you need one. You'll also be held accountable for your behavior, since what you do reflects on the rest of the sorority. Coming home drunk, having a guy in your bed, or a girl in your bed, or any such type of behavior is strictly forbidden. Curfew is 10:00 pm on weekdays and 12:00 am on weekends unless you have specific permission from your Big Sister; in your case, me. If you have your own car, obviously things like drunk driving are also forbidden. As you heard from Amanda, we expect you to be punctual. We meet as a sorority once a week to discuss different community service projects we participate in, and we don't hold off those meetings for anyone. We are all busy people and have other things to do than wait around for girls who can't be bothered to show up on time. You're expected to attend your classes and be on time to them, and if you're not you better have a good excuse. Clear so far?"

"Yeah, I understand."

"Good. Now comes the difficult part of the conversation. We need to discuss what happens when you break the rules. As I said, we don't expect perfection. If you miss a class or a sorority meeting because you're sick in bed, that's not a big deal and it won't count against you. However, if you miss a class or a sorority meeting because you're off getting smashed and screwing your boyfriend or your girlfriend, that's where I step in, and around here, the punishment for breaking the rules is a spanking on your bare bottom."

"I've never been spanked before in my life, not even when I was a kid!" Alex blurted in shock.

"Then be grateful that I saved your butt from Amanda's paddle this afternoon. I'll have to give you a spanking for being late today before we are done here, but I hope it will be a good, long time before I have to take the paddle to you. Generally, in this sorority, at least, the Big Sisters take responsibility for disciplining their Little Sisters, except in cases where the Little Sister breaks the same rule repeatedly or shows a general disregard for the rules, in which case Amanda will step in and handle it, usually with a paddle, belt, or cane, or asking the girl to leave the sorority, like Francesca."

"But I didn't mean to be late!" Alex pleaded in a fearful tone.

"I know you didn't mean to, which is why you are only getting spanked with my hand, to remind you that first impressions are important and tardiness does not make a good first impression. When you graduate and go to interview for a job, they will not be inclined to hire you if you are consistently late."

Alex suddenly felt like crying, although she wasn't quite sure why. Perhaps it was all the stress of being out in the world on her own for the first time in her life finally catching up with her, and the idea that Olivia was here to take care of her was a comforting thought. She also found herself relieved that she would be getting a spanking right off the bat, so that she would know what to expect next time, and hopefully avoid a 'next time'.

"What should I do?" Alex asked, her voice clogged with emotion.

"Don't be scared, sweetheart. I won't hurt you. I just need you to get up and come stand right here." Olivia sat on the edge of her bed and pointed to her right side.

Alex instantly relaxed hearing Olivia call her 'sweetheart'. She was afraid of being spanked, but Olivia was being so gentle and kind with her that it compelled Alex to obey her despite the fear she felt. The eighteen-year-old aspiring lawyer stood up and walked to the spot that Olivia indicated.

"Good girl. Now, I'm sorry, but this spanking is going to be on your bare bottom. Do you want to take down your pants yourself, or do you need me to do it for you?"

"I… I… I can't…." tears filled Alex's eyes.

"That's okay, honey. You don't have to." Olivia took Alex gently by the waist and pulled down the younger girl's jeans to her knees, followed by her white cotton panties. Then she took Alex by the hand and guided her across her lap into the proper position. She felt Alex shiver with emotion and tenderly stroked her long blonde hair to soothe her.

"I don't like doing this to you, sweetie. This is just one of the many lessons you have to learn while you're in college. Do you remember why you are getting a spanking?"

"B-Because I h-have to l-l-learn to b-be on t-time. To m-make a g-good imp-impression f-for w-work and s-stuff." Alex's voice trembled.

"Good girl. I know you're scared, sweetheart, but I promise you're okay. Are you ready?"

"Yes." Alex squeezed her eyes shut. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but she was definitely expecting something extremely painful.

Olivia was very strong for a nineteen-year-old, but she tempered her strength and the very first swat that landed on Alex's bottom for the first time in her life was only moderately stinging. Alex was not giving her an attitude and had not tried to argue her way out of her spanking like some of the other girls did when they had to be spanked for the first time, so Olivia was moved to mercy, seeing how afraid Alex was. Alex was crying after only fifty swats with Olivia's hand, her bottom glowing pink and warm to the touch, but her crying was the only sound of protest that she made.

"That's a good girl," Olivia praised even as she spanked, "I know it hurts, baby girl, but I'm so proud of you. It's so much easier when you don't fight it and just get it over with."

"I'm s-s-sorry." Alex sobbed out.

"I know you are, and you are forgiven. This is just a little sting on your bare bottom to help you remember and hopefully not need another spanking for a very long time, because I won't be so lenient with you next time."

Alex's tears of pain suddenly turned to tears of joy. As a child, Alex's parents had never laid a hand on her, but they held grudges that sometimes lasted for weeks, leaving their youngest daughter never knowing whether or not she was forgiven after she got into mischief. Alex suddenly felt Olivia gently hauling her upright. Olivia wasn't sure how Alex would react to being cuddled, but she would be less than human if she just took Alex back to her room and left her alone to cry herself out, so she did what instinctively felt natural and cuddled the crying Alex close to her heart. She smiled when Alex responded by throwing her arms around Olivia and just sobbing into her chest.

"There, there. It's all over, sweetheart. You're a good girl." Olivia cooed in Alex's ear.

As Olivia cuddled and rocked Alex, both girls sat there knowing that something special was happening between them, and their friendship would one day grow into one of the strongest marriages a lifetime would ever see.