AN: This short fic popped into my head while freezing at my son's soccer tournament today. This is really out of character for Chris but its where the muses took me. I reference some characters in my True stories, but its not necessary to read them to understand this story. Again, it isnt puch, but its better than nothing, right?

"What the hell happened?" Chris asked as he sat up, almost hitting his head on the bunk above.

"Shut it Cowboy. My head feels like it's gonna bust open." Vin growled from above.

Chris slowly stood up, doing his utmost to ignore the spinning room but failing miserably. He grabbed the bed frame and leaned his head on the mattress Vin was on. "Do you remember anything?"

"Nope." Vin sat up and ran his hands through his hair.

"I'll tell ya what happened!" A loud voice sounded from the doorway, causing both men to wince. "You two idiots got drunk, started a bar fight, and then sang inappropriate songs as you weaved your way back towards the boarding house. You're lucky Josiah and Nathan were able to get you two in this cell. Lord only knows what else you would have done."

Vin cracked an eye open to see an angry Nettie Wells glaring at them through the bars. "Please Nettie. Ya gotta stop yellin'."

"Yellin? Ya think this is yellin? Ya ain't heard nothin yet boy." Nettie unlocked the cell door. "Now both of ya get yerself cleaned up. Ya got two hours to get yourself out ta my place."

Chris glared at her. All he wanted was to go to sleep. "Why?"

Nettie stepped so close to him their noses would have been touching if she were taller. "Ya better point that glare somewhere else boy." She held his gaze until Chris looked away. "You two were unlucky enough ta raise all holy hell when Judge Travis was comin into town. I talked him outta keeping you in this god forsaken jail and kept his from firing you both. In exchange you two are gonna do some work for me along with a few other things. "

Vin and Chris exchanged a look. Both of them knew how riled the Judge could get and could only imagine what Nettie had to promise to settle him down. "We'll be there."

M7M7M7

Both men stood in front of Nettie like well chastened schoolboys. They had worked hard at various tasks around her ranch until about 20 minutes ago, when they had been told to wash up and come inside.

"I don't know what you two thought you were doing yesterday, but you set a poor example for True, Rhianna and Billy and it will not happen again. Am I understood?"

"Yes ma'am." Vin replied quickly.

Nettie raised an eyebrow when Chris did not reply, causing him to reply. "Yes ma'am." It had been a long time since he had to answer to anyone, but the lessons learned at his father's knee still remained. He was not about to disrespect the woman he started to think of as a second mother.

"Now, in order for Judge Travis to forgive you two, ya got to be punished. Vin already knows how I handle that."

Vin dropped his head. Deep down he knew this is where the whole day was heading, but he was still hoping he was wrong.

Chris was a little slower on the uptake, but one look at Vin and he figured it out real quick. "Oh hell no!"

Nettie popped Chris on the backside with the wooden spoon in her hand. "You will be punished or you will face the Judge and most likely lose your job an have to move on. Do you really wanna do that ta Rhianna? Make her choose between you and True?"

Chris sighed. Nettie was right and he started to feel some remorse for his behavior. "No ma'am. But you really can't mean to…" The idea was so absurd he couldn't even say it.

"Tan your backside? Yes, I do. It's what the Judge demanded. He wanted to do it himself but said he was here to visit Billy, not handle two men who decided to act like children." When she saw she finally got through to him she nodded to herself. "Vin, give me your belt."

With shaking hands, he unbuckled his belt and slid it out of the loops. He'd been through this before and was not looking forward to it happening again. He handed it over and returned to staring at the floor.

Nettie folded the belt in half, securing the buckle in her hand. "Both of ya bend over the table."

It took everything Chris had to follow Nettie's instruction. He slowly leaned over and put his hands on the table, not surprised that Vin was already in place. Nettie was quite intimidating when angry. Nettie brought the belt down hard onto Vin's backside five times, the did the same to Chris.

Chris sucked in a breath. He completely forgot how much this hurt. He tried to remain quiet but the next five swats seared his backside and he couldn't contain the groan that came out. Surely the woman was almost done.

Vin was grunting with each blow. For an old lady, Nettie could pack quite a wallop. He endured the next five smacks and winced when he heard Nettie move onto Chris for his next set. He couldn't help but wish kept that belt on Chris's backside, but it was not to be.

After Nettie had given each man twenty five swats, she stopped and placed the belt on the table. "All right. Ya can get up."

Both men stood and immediately started rubbing their backsides, not caring that they looked like the little boys they had been reduced to. Nettie hugged Vin and gave him a few seconds to give his apologies, then moved onto Chris. Unused to physical affections, Chris stiffened as Nettie pulled him into her arms. After a few seconds he returned the hug, finding comfort in the simple gesture.

Nettie released Chris and addressed both me. "Now, Casey's bed is big enough for the both of ya, so ya get on into her room and lay down. I'll bring you some supper in a little while cause neither of ya will be leavin that room for the rest of night. Understood?" When Chris opened his mouth to argue, she swatted him. "I said understood?"

"Yes ma'am."

Nettie watched them both head to Casey's room. "He aint so tough now." She muttered and started peeling potatoes for supper.