Lincoln sighed, running a hand across his tired eyes. He paused at the door of his flat, not looking forward to entering. He could hear the argument coming from within since he had been at the end of the hallway, and he definitely did not want to deal with it. Not today. But he knew he had to, or it would just keep escalating.

Lincoln didn't understand why Michael had no control over LJ. He was the boy's uncle, for crying out loud! Lincoln knew his son loved Michael to death, and they could have some serious fun together, but when the time came for Michael to be the adult, LJ never seemed to respect him.

Time to put an end to this. Lincoln thought, becoming determined. Things weren't going to be pretty, of that much he was certain. But he had to dissuade the situation before it got even further out of hand.

Lincoln threw open the door, his sudden entrance shocking Michael and LJ into silence as they watched him. Lincoln entered slowly, shutting the door behind him, but keeping his eyes on his son the entire time. LJ swallowed nervously and averted his gaze, but Michael spoke out innocently.

"Are you okay, Linc?"

Lincoln answered without taking his eyes off of LJ. "I'm fine, Mike. Can you say the same about you and LJ?"

"Well, technically -"

"Michael."

Michael sighed and looked away. "No, not really. I guess you could hear from outside, huh?"

Lincoln nodded. He remained silent for a few moments, creating further tension in the room's atmosphere. He finally tore his gaze away from his squirming son and looked at his little -well, not so little anymore -brother. "What's the argument about this time, Michael?"

" Long story short? I told LJ he couldn't play video games until he cleaned his room and he started bitching at me."

LJ spoke up at this. "Dad, that is so not true!" He squawked.

"Are you kidding me? You -" Michael began, but stopped when Lincoln raised his hand in a halting manner.

"Michael, you're the adult here. Don't argue back. You're being childish." He scolded briefly before redirecting his attention to his son once more. "Tell me, LJ. If Mike's wrong, then what really happened?" After a beat of silence, Lincoln pressed again. "LJ?"

LJ glanced at the floor while he spoke, the nervousness seeping through his voice as he attempted to lie through his teeth. "Uncle Mike was being a tyrant -he wouldn't let me do anything until I did a bunch of chores and even then he wouldn't let me have any fun! He was being a real dick, Dad, and -"

"Excuse me?!" Michael screeched, clearly offended, just as Lincoln yelled out "LJ!"

Lincoln counted to ten in his head, trying to calm himself down. He had no doubt that LJ was over-exaggerating; he always did when he tried to get out of trouble. He was also pretty incredulous that his son would think to tell such a bold-faced lie about his uncle with Michael standing not ten feet away from him.

Once he was calm enough, Lincoln spoke again. "First of all, young man, I do not want to hear that sort of language come out of your mouth again, especially when you're referring to your uncle. Am I being clear?" He waited for LJ's reluctant nod before he continued. "Secondly, I know very well that Michael wouldn't treat you in the way you just described, so why bother even trying to lie to me? Hm?"

LJ remained silent, his gaze locked on his shoes. He took a shaky breath and opened his mouth to respond, but after closed it again before he could say anything. Lincoln half growled in frustration before turning to Michael.

"Start from the beginning, Mike. Please."

Michael eyed LJ for another moment before turning to face his brother. "Gladly."

"Well," he began, "I walked into LJ's room and noticed it was in complete disarray, so I asked him to clean it. He blatantly ignored what I was asking him to do and continued about his day. I figured he would get to it eventually, though, so I left him alone for a while.

"A bit later, I caught him connecting his video game console to the TV in the living room, which would have been fine except he hadn't cleaned his room like I 'd asked him to. So, I disconnected the console and told him to go do it and then he'd be allowed to play his games. That's when the fight started.

"LJ started ranting about how he didn't have to do what I said, that I wasn't the boss of him, that I could shove my orders up my ass, etc. In conclusion, he wasn't gonna clean his room. So, naturally, I tried to step up as the adult and I told him he was grounded for the weekend, and during that time, he'd have to complete extra chores around the house, cleaning his room being number one on that list.

"He refused. The argument continued to escalate. Then, you walked in." Michael finished, sounding tired just by retelling the day's events. Lincoln shook his head as though he couldn't believe what Michael was telling him, although he knew very well that his brother had no reason to lie about his kid's behaviour. He turned to LJ, put his hands on his hips, and addressed him sternly.

"Is what your uncle just said true, LJ? Is that what happened today?"

After a long, tense moment, LJ finally nodded his agreement. Lincoln shook his head, disappointed this time.

"Come here, LJ."

The teen looked up nervously at his dad, glancing at Michael briefly, and then back at his dad. He was unsure whether approaching Lincoln or not was actually the best course of action, but he figured not doing so would get him in further trouble. So, slowly but surely, he made his way over until he was standing in front of Lincoln, just out of arm's reach.

Lincoln's expression was unreadable as he glared down at his son. However, when he opened his mouth, he spoke with such firmness that LJ's stomach did somersaults.

"I expect so much better from you, young man. You know better than to disregard and disrespect your uncle the way you've been doing. LJ, look at me when I'm speaking to you!" He grabbed the young boy's chin and raised his head to meet his eyes. "What has gotten into you, LJ? Why are you being such a pain to Michael? Why couldn't you just do as he asked and cleaned your room the first time instead of misbehaving and causing so much trouble? Huh? Answer me." He insisted when his boy seemed intent on remaining silent.

"I-" LJ's voice cracked, his nerve faltering. "I don't know, Dad... I'm sorry." He whispered, regretting his actions now that his father was, not only involved but disappointed. Lincoln released his son's chin and shook his head.

"It's not me you should be apologizing to." He gestured at Michael and waited.

LJ turned slowly in the general direction of Michael and muttered a half-hearted apology, spiking Lincoln's anger. He grabbed LJ's arm and turned him towards him roughly.

"Listen here, Lincoln Burrows Jr," he growled. "Michael is your uncle and you will respect and obey him. Now, you are going to go clean your room like he told you, you will be grounded for the weekend like he said you would be -extra chores and all included -and you are going to apologize like you mean it. While you're cleaning your room, I'm going to have a word with Michael and see if he doesn't think you deserve to have another punishment for being so incredibly rude and disobedient. Do you understand me?" He shook LJ slightly.

LJ's eyes welled up with tears, knowing exactly what "other" punishment his dad was referring to. He prayed his uncle wouldn't choose to do that to him, but he wouldn't be surprised if he did. LJ knew he would deserve it after all the trouble he'd been causing for the past couple of weeks. He nodded and started heading to his room, pausing at Michael's side.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Mike... Really sorry." He whimpered, true remorse setting in once he saw the hurt in his uncle's hazel eyes.

Michael nodded, not hesitating in providing his nephew with his forgiveness. "It's okay, buddy."

LJ nodded gratefully, and flinched slightly when his father's voice boomed, "Thank you. Now, march, young man." Immediately, LJ shuffled into his room, shutting the door gently behind him, and working on cleaning up as best as he could.

Lincoln walked past Michael to the couch and took a seat, patting the cushion next to him, inviting his brother to sit with him. Michael took the invitation, perching himself to the right of his brother. A moment passed before either of them spoke.

"I'm sorry I couldn't handle it better, Linc." Michael said gently, earning himself a smack on the head from his brother. "Hey!" He cried out indignantly, rubbing the spot. "What the hell was that for?"

"Don't apologize for something that you have no business apologizing for, Michael." Lincoln scolded before his anger drained once more. "I'm really sorry for the way LJ's been acting with you. I don't understand why he's been testing you so much lately."

"Probably the same reasons I used to test you when I was a kid." Michael began with a coy smile. "To see if you'd do something about it."

Lincoln smiled slightly, but was not entirely comforted by the thought. "Well, hopefully now he knows that you will not be tolerating his behaviour." He turned to look directly into his younger brother's eyes. "Michael, listen to me very carefully. I am very glad that you finally took the adult stance and tried to show him who's boss. But, buddy, you can't argue with him. If you argue back, he won't take you seriously because once you argue, you aren't acting like the adult. You've got to put your foot down, Mike. Be harsh with him when you have to be. He's gonna push his boundaries, like any other kid, but you've gotta be able to remind him where the line is. You got that?"

Michael nodded, feeling like a kid again for getting reprimanded by his brother. "You're right, Linc... I'll remember that for next time; though hopefully there won't be one..."

Lincoln nodded. "I really hope not. Kid's gotta learn some day." He ran a hand through his close-cropped hair for a moment before moving closer to his brother. He began running his hand through Michael's short hair absently as he thought.

When Michael was LJ's age, he certainly loved to test his boundaries. Sometimes Lincoln had wondered if Michael didn't wake up some mornings with no other thought in mind than to push Lincoln's buttons.

The difference was that Lincoln had been able to handle Michael pretty well; LJ was flying completely off the handle with Michael. Lincoln hoped that his son would try to behave himself now, but he needed to know that Michael could be the adult if he had to be. There was no sense in Lincoln having to tell his boy to respect Michael if Michael did nothing to earn the respect an uncle should have.

He knew it was just because Michael couldn't bring himself to really punish the boy that LJ kept testing him. Michael freshly remembered being fifteen and thinking that Lincoln was the most unfair being in all the land, so he was more sympathetic towards LJ's moods. But he had to learn that LJ couldn't get away with everything that Michael didn't when he was a teenager.

"Michael? Hello? Earth to Michael!"

Michael snapped back into reality at Lincoln's annoyed tone and the slight shove he received. He blinked hard, trying to focus back on his brother. "Sorry... what did you say?"

"I asked you how you were going to handle this."

Michael's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "I already handled it. I said he was grounded, and you backed me up. What else am I supposed to do?"

Lincoln hesitated then, but knew he had to lay out all of Michael's options for him. "Listen, little brother. If you think the grounding is all LJ needs as motivation to not cross you, then fine. So be it. But I just want you to know that you have my permission to punish him as you see fit, so don't limit yourself to things you know won't work."

"What do you mean, Linc?" Michael questioned, although he was starting to catch on.

"I mean... If you ever feel like you need to spank him or something, feel free to go ahead and do it. I trust that you won't do it unnecessarily and that you won't hurt him. Just know that you can, and should, do it if a worthy situation ever rises." After a moment of silence, he added, "In my opinion, this would be one of those moments."

Michael nodded slowly, digesting his brother's words. He himself was not unfamiliar with spanking, as he had ended up face-down over Lincoln's knee more times than he'd care to admit -but receiving and administering are two different things. He knew Lincoln was right, though. If he wanted LJ to take him seriously, he had to prove he was being serious and punish him properly; he could let Lincoln do it, but then LJ wouldn't really be learning the right lesson, would he?

Lincoln watched his little brother, practically hearing the gears in his head turning as he pondered his next course of action. He wasn't too fond of spanking his son, was never fond of spanking Michael when he was a boy either, but knew that it was an effective punishment for out-of-control behaviour. He certainly wasn't going to force his brother into doing that to LJ, he didn't really want it done in the first place, but he wouldn't oppose to it either. LJ did deserve it, after all the trouble and fights he'd been starting with Michael for the past couple of weeks, but if Lincoln administered it, LJ would never learn.

"I'll do it."

Lincoln blinked, not sure he heard right. "You will?"

Michael nodded slowly, obviously still lost in thought. "Yes, I will. I'll use my hand, nothing more. But I don't know if I should do this now or after he's done cleaning his room... He might lose motivation if I do it now... Or will he gain some? Lincoln? What do you think?"

Lincoln shook his head and put his hands up in a surrender-like position. "It's up to you, little brother. You're the disciplinarian of the hour. You do whatever you think is best."

Michael nodded, considering his options. After much thought, he opted with getting it over with now -besides, LJ was probably almost done fixing the room anyways. He rose from the couch, Lincoln doing the same.

"I'm gonna go get dinner. You call and let me know when you're done, alright?" Lincoln said, and Michael nodded, clapping his brother on the shoulder. He watched him leave and waited a moment, gathering the strength, before walking over to LJ's room.

He knocked softly on the half-open door and pushed his way inside gently. He stood back and looked around at the bedroom appraisingly. It was spotless.

"Nice job, LJ. See, it didn't even take long. It wasn't so hard now, was it?" He teased, a slight chastising tone to his voice.

LJ ducked his head. "No, it wasn't. Uncle Mike, I'm sorry..."

"I know, LJ, buddy. I know." Michael walked into the room fully, closing the door all the way, before going over to sit on his nephew's bed. He gestured LJ over to him, indicating that he ought to sit next to him on the bed. "Listen, LJ. I spoke with your dad and... we agreed that your attitude towards me these past couple of weeks can't -and won't -go unpunished." He heard LJ suck in a sharp breath, but continued before he could be interrupted.

"Now, listen. I don't like the way you've been talking back, starting fights, deliberately disobeying me -I don't appreciate any of that. You know it's wrong, and you know that if it would have been your dad you were treating that way, he would have corrected the problem a long ass time ago." Michael took a deep breath. "Well, I need you to know that I'm not going to stand for it any longer, LJ. I'm your uncle and you need to show me some respect. You know I'm usually pretty easy on you and we can always have a good time, but I'm afraid that's gonna have to stop for a while until you learn to behave when you're under my care.

"The grounding is for defying me today in regards to your room and the lie you tried to tell your father about me. I'll be spanking you for your general disrespectful behaviour. I don't want to, but I will if I have to, and obviously I have to do this if you're going to learn to respect me. I hope you learn from this, LJ."

LJ nodded, the tears welling up in his eyes once more. He never, in his fifteen years of life, thought he'd be about to face a spanking from his Uncle Mike. But hey, there's a first time for everything, right?

He understood clearly why Michael felt the need to go through with this particular punishment, but self-preservation kicked in and LJ decided he could still try to talk him out of it.

Turning his big puppy eyes on his uncle, LJ pleaded his case. "Uncle Mike, please don't. I've already said I'm sorry, and I really do mean it. You don't have to spank me. I'll behave, I really will." His frustration grew when Michael merely shook his head in the negative, not willing to play into his nephew's hands again. LJ rose from the bed angrily and glared at Michael. "You have no right! You -"

"I have every right, LJ." Michael replied, his voice tinged with an eerie calm as he stayed perfectly still on the bed. "You're fifteen years old, and you're my nephew. That's enough for me to have the right."

LJ backed away further. "This isn't fair! I've already apologized, I said I'll listen to you. Why can't that be enough?!"

"Because, LJ, if I could take your word for it then you wouldn't be trying to argue your way out of the punishment. Pleading your case like you were before? Yeah, of course. I understand that, it's normal. But this?" Michael shook his head. "This just proves to me that you haven't learned a thing and we're gonna end up right back in square one unless you do learn who's in charge. Now, I'm not playing around anymore, LJ. Come here. Let's get this over with."

"No." LJ refused once more, stubbornly crossing his arms over his chest and backing away another few steps. Michael forced himself to keep his cool and not stoop to the kid's level. Instead, in a no-nonsense tone, he made a threat he prayed he wouldn't be forced to carry out.

"If you're not by my side by the count of five, LJ, I'm taking off my belt. You understand me? One."

LJ's eyes widened as he realized he wouldn't be winning this time. He tried judging how serious the threat was, but Michael's face was unreadable. LJ had no idea if his uncle would take a belt to him or not, but he wasn't sure he wanted to find out.

"Three... Four..."

"Alright, alright! I'm coming!" LJ huffed, rushing to his uncle's side before he could finish the countdown. Michael breathed an internal sigh of relief and face his nephew.

"Pants down, LJ."

"What?!" LJ squeaked. "No way, man, no freaking way -"

"Lincoln Burrows Jr, if I have to tell you one more time..." Michael bellowed sternly, letting the threat hang in the air. He felt some satisfaction as LJ gulped and reluctantly lowered his pants to his ankles. Determining that he would leave the boy's boxers in place, he grabbed LJ's wrist and tugged him forward, adjusting him over his lap quickly before the boy could make any more protests.

LJ squirmed slightly in Michael's grasp, his heart dropping to his stomach as he was flipped over his uncle's knee. He was incredibly nervous, and, honestly, a little scared. He knew Michael wasn't going to hurt him, but it was the first time he'd ever been in this position with him and he wasn't sure what to expect. Sure, he'd been spanked by his dad before, but this wasn't his dad.

Once Michael had LJ settled the way he wanted him, he wrapped his left arm around the boy's waist, to secure him, restrain him, and comfort him all at once. Then, he looked down at the backside presented before him and raised his hand, feeling the boy tense over his knees.

To be continued... Hehehe.