Stories From The Island
Interlude

Warning(s): Spanking; spoilers for various MARVEL movies and television programs.

***

Everyone had got a good night’s rest and, amazingly enough, everyone had slept in until the sun was rising before getting up. Grant wasn't used to not getting up at 5 a.m. and getting in a workout. Helping to make breakfast for the entire family didn't really expend any energy. Neither did the clean-up. Now everyone was wandering off to do their own thing, be it reading on the back veranda, swimming down at the beach, or playing games in the family room. "I think I'm going to take a walk," he announced, to everyone and no-one at the same time.

"Mind if I join you?" Raina asked quietly. She was becoming a bit more sociable with the family, but she felt it could only help if she spent a little one-on-one time with various family members.

Grant blinked, but then smiled gently at her. "Sure. We can walk together if you really want to."

"Ooooh! Can Loki and I come?" Kara grinned, dragging her Asgardian cousin forward with her as she asked the question.

"If Loki wants to come, both you and he are welcome to join us as well..." Grant laughed at the slightly confused look on Loki's face. Kara had latched onto him the night before and now seemed determined to 'hang out' with her cousin for the day. It wasn't unusual for Kara to get ideas in her head and act on them, but they normally didn't involve Loki. The younger Asgardian was handling it with patience, though, Grant was glad to see.

"Don't forget to take a bag with water and snacks...never know if you might need them later..." Clint suggested off-handedly, as he shuffled the cards and prepared to deal for the game he was playing with other family members.

Coulson smiled, seeing that Grant and Raina were spending some one-on-one time together. "If you think of it, on your way back, you could always bring some fruit with you," he suggested.

Lance had dipped in long enough to grab some breakfast, but he'd grabbed his trunks to swim down at the beach and tapped his brother on the shoulder. "Fancy a swim? Maybe we'll see some dolphins." He grinned.

Bakshi and Blake had hit it off well, in part due to their shared history at the police academy. Bakshi wavered, glancing at Blake, who shrugged. "Hey, I can come with. It'll be nice to get some exercise in. Gotta work off those s'mores somehow." He grinned.

"I might go for a swim, too...if you don't mind me joining you." Bobbi smiled at Lance.

Bucky smiled at his son. "If you feel up to it later, maybe you can catch some fish for dinner...."

Trip took a look at the hand he'd been dealt then threw a handful of M&Ms into the 'pool' in the middle of the table. "I'll bet five..."

Brock grinned. "I'll see your five and raise you five more."

Lance grinned at Bobbi. "Not at all. Do you need to grab your suit?" he asked, willing to wait for her. Looking at his father, he added, "I'll come back here, unless you need me before then, to grab a couple of rods..."

Shrugging, Fury matched his sons' bet. He smiled at his daughter as she went with the others, but didn't tell her to be careful. While Raina was still something of a wild card, he trusted Grant and Loki to be responsible... for the most part.

"Already wearing it!" Bobbi grinned.

Matt tilted his head. "I think I am going to read. On the veranda. If anyone needs me."

Karen glanced around. "I'll just go to the beach, too."

Sam looked at his son and daughter. "Either of you want company?"

Skye finished off the last of her juice and then looked at her mother. "What are you planning to do?"

"I wouldn't mind company..." Matt said softly to his father.

"I was thinking of seeing if I couldn't befriend one of the monkeys I've seen outside. Not tame, necessarily, since we can't take it back with us, but still..." May grinned, knowing that would catch Fitz's interest.

Jemma glanced toward her father. "Can we work on some more of that research we were doing last time we were here? Since we can't do it anywhere else?"

"I'd like to do that..." Bruce nodded.

"Well, Pepper and I are going to be wandering around, making plans for the villa and surrounding area... If anyone wants to join us."

Mack glanced toward his cousin and smiled. "Maybe after I've won a hand..." He eyed the center of the table, where all the bet M&Ms were, pushing ten of his own into it.

Ben chuckled slightly. "I'll go sit on the beach with Karen. There's something I wanted to ask, anyway." He grinned at the younger woman.

Sam smiled and wrapped his arm around Matt's shoulders. "Great," he said warmly then looked at his daughter. "Maybe we'll join you later," he suggested.

Fitz hesitated, torn between joining his father and sister and wanting to go along with May. He glanced at his younger brother and cousin. "What are you two going to do?"

Peter shrugged. "I figured we'd head down to the beach as well." While he didn't really speak for Harry, the two of them did often do things together... and Harry didn't seem inclined to argue with him.

Jemma laughed softly. "We have all day, Leo...you can help with the monkey first and then come do research...and then we can go to the beach..." She made the suggestion with a big smile.

"Okay, that sounds good." Fitz nodded.

Steve had joined the others in a game, but he smiled at Tony and Pepper. "I'll come and join you both later."

Tony nodded briefly, then wrapped his arm around Pepper's waist and led her off to 'make plans'.

Grant watched as everyone else continued their game and began to go do whatever they had planned, then glanced at his sister and cousins. "Let's go, then..."

There were various calls of goodbye from those staying and those going, as everyone wandered off to do various things.

***

Grant and his tiny group hadn't walked quickly- they weren't doing this to break any records after all. Grant, personally, wanted to get some idea of what was on the island. As secure as Tony likely made it- it never hurt to be prepared in case someone found a way to break that security. By the time they had covered half of the island- making note of various plant and wildlife as well as areas where someone might possibly try to sneak in (there weren't many-Tony was thorough) it was already close to lunch time. "If we walk fast we can be back at the villa in about thirty minutes- eat a decent lunch instead of these snacks- and then we can walk again going on the other side of the island. We'd end up here again and will have explored all of the perimeter at least..."

"Sounds good to me," Raina agreed. She was eyeing some fungus growing on the root of one tree, obviously interested in examining it more closely.

Loki chuckled. "I could just pop us back to the villa as well if you do not mind. It is not a great distance..."

"What if you need to teleport someone later? Won't it make you tired?" Kara slanted her head, having remembered Loki's need to rest between teleporting from the story told the night before.

"I was slightly younger then...I am a bit stronger in my power...but you are right. It is likely better to keep that in reserve in case of emergency." Loki agreed.

"Then we are agreed. Walk back for lunch and continue exploring after..." Grant grinned and turned to do just that, setting a brisk pace.

***

Most everyone else had returned for lunch, Lance having organised some fishing with his brother and cousin. The three of them were preparing the fish, having picked various fresh greens to make a salad, and were chatting amicably.

Bobbi grinned as she watched her cousins prepare the fish. "Looks good, fellas...need me to get anything to go with it?" She glanced over as her brother, sister and cousins traipsed into the villa's kitchen.

"We picked some fruit, if you'd like a fruit dish..." Kara grinned.

"I'm thinking I'm going to take a shower and clean up a bit..." Grant grimaced as sweat dripped into his eyes. "It's hotter than I was expecting...."

Lance caught Bobbi's eye and grinned. "Maybe you and Kara can work on the fruit dish?" he suggested.

Various other members of the family dipped into and out of the kitchen, taking drinks and utensils to the dining area.

Bobbi nodded and motioned Kara toward her. Soon, they were both washing and preparing the fruit. By the time Grant returned, freshly showered and dressed, everyone else had returned and were heading into the dining area.

"It really looks good...you all outdid yourselves," he said to his cousins as he saw the fish.

Lance gave him a quick grin. "Fishing was easy... I think we should make the most of it." Glancing at his brother, he added, "We didn't see any dolphins this time..."

Bakshi shrugged, even as he added a small amount of lemon juice to the salad. "It was still good."

"We were checking around to see if there were any possible places where our security could be breached. There were two places you might want to double check Tony, otherwise everything is as secure as Fort Knox..." He grinned at his cousin.

"I found some interesting Fungi too..." Raina added quietly.

Leo had come in, planning to see if he could help, and was in time to hear Raina's comment. "Did you collect any samples?" he asked her curiously.

"No..." Raina smiled slightly. "I didn't bring any supplies to gather items. But I know where they are and plan to go back later...."

"If you bring some samples back, I can help you run some tests," Leo offered, wanting to make an effort with his cousin.

Blake put the finishing touches to his dish and he, Lance and Bakshi began carrying the food through to the dining area and letting the others, who weren't there already, know that it was ready.

"I'll do that...a second opinion on results is good..." Raina's smile grew bigger.

Kara picked up the fruit salad she and Bobbi had made, carrying it to the table.

Leo waited for Raina to sit and then took a seat on one side of her, so he could engage her in conversation about the mushrooms.

It didn't take long for everyone to be settled and begin eating.

"Does anyone have any plans for after lunch?" Steve asked, looking around at his family members.

Grant swallowed the bite of food in his mouth and answered, "We were going to explore the other side of the island and see if there were any safety concerns there, like we did with the first side...."

"It was fun..." Kara nodded.

Raina grinned. "I can't say she was wrong. Maybe I'll see some other flowers or fungi to examine...."

Loki shrugged. "It was enjoyable. I would like to continue."

Coulson smiled at his son and daughter. "We were talking about heading to the beach... after you've explored the other side of the island, perhaps you'd like to join us?" he suggested.

Lance glanced at Bobbi. "Want to go exploring with me?" he asked.

Grant grinned. "Sure, dad. As soon as we reach the other end, we can come back. I'll wear my swim trunks on my walk, so I won't have to change...."

Kara perked up. "I'm finished eating now.... May I be excused to go change?"

Raina didn't bother asking or telling what she planned to do, just waited to see if they would be excused before she could go change herself.

"Yeah, exploring sounds fun!" Bobbi grinned at Lance.

Fury nodded to his daughter with a smile and then began organising clean-up with those who hadn't been involved with the food preparation.

***

It hadn't taken long for everyone to clean up, change and grab whatever items they were planning to use for the afternoon. They'd broken off into small groups again, some different than before, some the same. Grant smiled at the other three members of his family that were accompanying him on yet another walk. They'd accomplished a lot that morning, he felt; they'd been able to locate a few spots that had questionable security and inform Tony. Now, as they explored the other side of the island, walking to the far opposite point from the villa, he was happy to see that there were no areas that might need security bolstering. As a result, they had reached the far side of the island much quicker than they had that morning. "Well, looks like we have a few hours before dinner..." he said with a grin. "Want to see what's on this beach? After we check out the fungi that Raina was interested in?"

"That is agreeable to me. I do believe I see those dolphins our cousin was hoping to see. I will let him know and perhaps he will come out tomorrow to see them..." Loki said softly, his eyes scanning the horizon of the ocean. It was obvious he was just as enamored of seeing the dolphins as he expected their cousin to be.

Kara sidled up next to him, watching the mammals as well. "They're so playful..." She grinned. "...Makes me want to jump into the ocean to join them."

Raina was busy examining the fungus, but as she didn't bring any scientific supplies with her, she wasn't touching it. Grant was halfway between her and his cousins, unable to make up his mind what he wanted to do.

***

Coulson was taking advantage of the time to spend a bit of one-to-one with Natasha, who was always content to share him with her siblings, but he always tried to put aside a bit of time to spend with each one of them personally.

Right now, the two of them were quietly playing one of the board games involving strategy. Coulson, less concerned with the game and more so with his oldest daughter, was taking advantage of Natasha's divided attention to draw her into deeper conversation than she might normally allow.

And for all that Natasha knew what he was doing... she allowed herself to be drawn out in a way very few members from outside her family could.

***

Bobbi nudged Lance with her shoulder, giving him a glowing smile that came from the inside. She felt so relaxed and Lance truly was one of her favorite people; even if they argued a lot, when push came to shove he would always be one of the first, if not the first, people she would want in her corner. "Look up there..." she whispered, nodding her head toward a tree where a monkey sat holding her baby- and watching them suspiciously.

Lance was relaxed and happy walking with Bobbi, watching her as much as the scenery around them... though he followed the direction she indicated. "Did you bring a camera?" he whispered back to her, considering if he could take a picture on his phone for her.

"No..." Bobbi sounded regretful at the fact. "I didn't think I'd be seeing monkeys...."

***

Raina had observed all the fungi and various plants that were close by while Kara waded in the shallow part of the surf. Loki stood next to Grant, having a quiet conversation. Biting her lip, she looked toward the plants that were following a very faint trail toward the ocean; then, straightening up, she began to follow the trail of plants, right to the entrance of a cave that went down into the ground. Was this the cave that Tony had warned against...and that all the parental figures had forbidden? She suspected maybe it was; at the same time...there were no signs up and they hadn't really given a very good description of the cave…only that it was on the other side of the island. "Hey, Kara? Want to go exploring with me?" she called out to her cousin.

Kara quickly walked over to Raina, slipping her shoes back on as she did so. "Are you going in there?" she asked curiously, not even thinking about the fact that they'd been warned against going into the cave. To be honest, she'd not really paid all that much attention to the rules and warnings given out when they arrived, figuring that if she was about to do something she wasn't supposed to, someone would stop her.

Grant had come over by this point as well. "Do we really want to go in there? I'm pretty certain this is the cave we're supposed to stay out of."

"It's only dangerous at high tide..." Raina shrugged. "We'll be out of there before then. I only want to go in for a few minutes to see how far back these plants go..."

"If it's only for a few minutes and we leave immediately after we find out, I guess it can't hurt..." Grant's voice was hesitant, but he was just as curious as the girls were.

Loki didn't say anything. He didn't particularly want to go into the cave, but when all three of his cousins began to walk down into it, he followed. He liked the idea of being left alone on the beach even less; and if they needed his help with something, it would be easier if he was already there and not outside where they'd have to yell for him.

***

Steve had joined his sons, daughter and grandchildren at the beach, though he was currently sitting with Tony (who'd come a long way, but the water still wasn't his favourite place to be) and Pepper and watching the rest of his family members who were in the water.

Wanda had retreated to a spot by herself, while her brother regulated his speed in the water, and was going through some of the exercises her father had taught her. She'd been feeling a bit off the previous night and was hoping to avoid forcing any of her family to have bad dreams again.

Tony stretched, catlike then glanced at the sky. "T'will soon be time for dinner...shall we head back up and begin preparations, Pepper-mine?" He grinned at his fiancé impishly.

"I believe we were going to have chicken for the main course...I have an idea for using the fruits and vegetables we've picked, along with some spices I saw in the pantry..." Pepper easily agreed, standing up and brushing the sand off. "Should we tell everyone else so they can come help?"

"Let them keep playing..." Tony shrugged, standing up himself and brushing off. "They'll make their way in eventually and can help then. Too many people in the kitchen and it will make things difficult instead of helping." He laughed.

***

They really had intended to just go in long enough to see where the plants ended and then turn around and leave the cave. The problem was, none of them had really been paying attention to the fact that the cave had more than one tunnel and it was easy to get turned around and lost. The fact they only had the tiny pen-flashlight that was attached to Grant's key-ring, didn't help. Before they knew it, they had been in the cave for an hour and couldn't figure out which way to go. "I can't believe we're lost..." Grant muttered to himself.

"Um...I don't think that's our only problem..." Kara said nervously.

Raina frowned moving closer to Grant since he had the light. "What do you mean...?" she began, only to stop with quick inhalation of breath. Water was pooling around her feet and from the feel of things, it was rising rapidly.

Loki had been standing stock still, focusing. Opening his eyes, he quickly grabbed Kara by the arm then moved close to Grant and Raina. "I believe we need to go this way...we should likely run..." He pointed in the direction he thought they should go.

No one argued, beginning to jog toward where he'd indicated. It was quickly obvious they weren't going to make it, though.

"Stop!" Loki finally yelled to Grant and Raina, who were ahead of Kara and him by several feet. "I will need to teleport us out. You must hold onto me tightly...." He moved closer, not saying anything as Grant and Raina quickly turned and swam back to him, grabbing onto his other arm tightly.

"You are able to teleport yourself and all three of us?" Grant couldn't hide the worry in his tone.

"I can," Loki said. "I may be weak and unable to access my power for a day or so after; it takes more energy to safely teleport others and the energy needed is increased greatly with each added person... but we no longer have a choice." He glanced around. "Are you all holding tightly?" The water was over the women's heads by now and was to the men's chins, the waves of it rolling over their heads enough times to make talking difficult. Loki waited only long enough to hear from each cousin that they were holding tightly before he drew every bit of his power and focused on getting them out of the cave.

***

By that time, Coulson and Natasha had finished their game and Coulson had headed through to the kitchen to help with food preparation, his daughter trailing him. Along the way, he was joined by Fury... and Thor, who planned to show his father the Midgardian way of cooking.

The three fathers were deep in relaxed conversation as they stepped into the kitchen to join the others.

Tony grinned at Steve, then turned and waved at Fury, Coulson, and Odin. "Hey…Thor. We've left a spot for you over there to make whatever you'd planned..." He motioned toward an empty counter as he began to rinse the chicken he was holding and then began to spice it.

***

Just as Loki was about to disappear with his cousins, the current ripped Kara away from him and he had to quickly stop, lest he leave her behind. At that same moment, the water covered his and Grant's heads. It was only a matter of seconds, though it felt like minutes, that he quickly grabbed his youngest cousin's hand again in a death grip. He could feel both Raina and Grant still grasping him tightly. Afraid that if he waited to concentrate on a direction, he'd lose one of them again, he just teleported...and hoped that they ended up somewhere safe.

Since the current of incoming ocean water was exceedingly strong, it managed to knock all of their feet out from under them just as he teleported.

When he opened his eyes, Loki was at the bottom of a pile of tangled limbs; Kara on his chest, Raina draped over both of them with an arm trapped underneath of him somehow and a knee pressing against his ear, while Grant was on top of them all...his arm trapped underneath Kara. They were all four coughing too hard to try and untangle themselves, seaweed caught in their hair and muddy water dripping onto the kitchen floor.

Coulson and Fury quickly headed to their children's side, with Odin only a few seconds behind them.

"I'll go and get towels... and Bruce." Steve hurriedly left the kitchen, returning with the promised towels, which he handed to each father so they could get their respective children dry, before he headed back out and to the beach to get his other son.

Grant winced and attempted to get his arm out from under his cousin so that he could stand up and get off the top of all of them. "Damn...I'm caught on something..." he muttered, wincing again. "...Sorry..." He tried to figure out a way that he could get off of them when his arm was trapped under them, without hurting anyone in the process.

"Why didn't anyone warn me we'd be playing twister?" Kara muttered into Loki's chest. "...And such a painful version of it at that?"

Raina snorted at the question and sighed. "Yeah...this isn't working...."

"I do not have enough energy to teleport myself out from under you all, so as soon as you figure something out, let me know. I will just lie here resting..." Loki sighed and closed his eyes wearily.

Bruce came into the kitchen just as Loki spoke those words, Steve and Bucky on his heels; the rest of the family not too far behind them. "Dad, Uncle Bucky, Thor and Uncle Odin; if you four would assist in the untangling- you may have to lift Grant and Raina up just high enough for Kara to slide out from underneath, which will then free Grant and should allow Loki to sit up, which will free Raina..." he said clinically. "Theoretically, anyway. If Uncle Phil and Uncle Nick want to stand by with the towels... Jemma, sweetheart, go get my medical bag, please?"

Jemma quickly disappeared to get her father's bag.

Thor, Steve and Odin quickly moved, Thor and his father taking hold of Grant to lift him and Steve doing the same to Raina alongside Bucky. Careful not to cause any pain to their family members, Thor glanced worriedly at his father. He couldn't think of any reason for his brother and cousins to teleport here wet and was worried they were more hurt, along with Loki's obvious exhaustion.

Fury and Coulson were both very worried, standing by with the towels so they could dry their children off as fast as possible.

As soon as Grant and Raina were lifted off of her, Kara carefully slid out, freeing Grant's arm. She gingerly stood, testing out her ability to stand, grimacing as her shoes squelched out muddy cave water.

As soon as his arm was freed, Grant let out a sigh of relief. "I'm loose, you can put me down, thank you..." His voice was subdued.

As soon as Kara and Grant were out of the way, Loki carefully sat up, enabling Raina to get her arm back. He sat on the ground for a bit longer, though. Transporting himself and three other people under a high stress situation as quickly as he had, for the distance he had, truly made him tired. He didn't want to stand up and then fall flat on his face, especially not with all the family watching.

Raina waited until she was carefully set on her feet before saying anything. "Thank you for helping me..." she said to her two uncles, before looking back at Loki. "Are you alright?" she asked worriedly, before coughing again.

"I will be fine after eating and resting. I do not think I will be exploring anymore for a while, though..." He didn't comment on the fact that he somehow doubted if they'd be allowed to. He wasn't sure what to say or how much to admit, although he knew they would have to say something.

Coulson was quick to hand off a towel to Thor, who crouched down next to his brother and began drying him off without a second thought... though he did shift so their father could check Loki for any obvious injuries, even though he knew Bruce would be better placed to spot anything.

Fury wrapped a towel around Kara, drying her off to get her warm as quickly as possible. "Once Bruce has checked you over, we'll find some dry clothes for you to change into," he said.

Coulson hadn't thought to ask any of the family members for help, instead draping a towel each over Grant and Raina and helping each to dry off in turn. "The same goes for both of you... though while Bruce is checking you all over, one of you can explain what happened."

Bruce began with Loki, as the Asgardian Prince seemed the worse off of all of them. After listening to his lungs and checking for obvious injuries, he was mostly convinced that what Loki needed was to dry off, warm up and rest. After quickly checking the others, he determined that none of them were obviously hurt, although he wanted to keep an eye on them, due to the fact they obviously had inhaled water. "I believe you all will be alright with rest; however, you will remain in the company of your father or another family member for the next twenty-four hours, in case something happens that I was unable to diagnose. Inhaling water is not safe and sometimes the effects of it do not occur until hours after the fact...."

"Yes, sir..." Kara mumbled, the only one of the four to answer verbally. The others all nodded in agreement, though, knowing that even if they didn't want to follow the directions, their fathers and siblings would insure they did.

Loki glanced around at all the others, waiting for one of them to begin their explanations. Noticeably, none of them did. Clearing his throat, he glanced toward his father and tried to keep things as non-comital as possible without lying. "I had to transport us all back rather quickly, which is why I am...weary..." he said hesitantly. A sure sign that he felt guilty about something.

Coulson nodded to his nephew, indicating he had heard and understood Bruce... and he had already determined that he, at least, was not going to let either Raina or Grant out of his sight.

Odin's relationship with his youngest son might have suffered in the past, but now, he tended to be able to read both sons well... and he was fairly certain he knew Loki was hiding something. "Why did you have to transport all of you so quickly?" he asked outright.

Steve watched, wondering if his suspicions were correct... that the four of them had entered the cave they'd been forbidden from going into. It was, after all, the most dangerous place on the island.

Kara bit her lip. "We were exploring..." she added hesitantly. Since she'd not been paying attention during the point where they'd been told not to go in the cave, she wasn't sure if she was in trouble or not.

Grant looked at the ground and ran a hand through wet hair. He knew eventually the truth would come out. "We lost track of where we were..." He began only to be interrupted by Raina.

"We went into the cave. It was my idea..." she started.

"But we all chose to join you..." Loki finished, finally standing up and swaying in place.

Thor stood with his brother and quickly wrapped an arm around his shoulders, while their father moved to Loki's other side to support him. "We will take you to the bedroom," Thor said, his concern obvious.

Coulson sighed and looked at his son and daughter. "Do either of you want to wash off before putting on dry clothes?" he asked them.

Fury didn't ask. He just began leading Kara from the kitchen.

Loki just nodded, allowing himself to be led to the room he shared with his brothers and father. He didn't say anything.

"Would you like to have a shower or bath before resting?" Odin asked, his voice concerned. Right now, his focus was on taking care of Loki and making sure he recovered... they could talk about what had happened later.

"I would like a shower, I believe," Loki said quietly, before beginning to undress the minute he was safely in their suite. He was too tired to care about modesty; not that he'd been overly shy or bashful to begin with.

Odin nodded. "Would you like me or your brother to be in the bathroom with you? Or just wait outside with the door unlocked, in case there are any problems?" he asked.

Loki blinked and looked up in surprise at the offer, but then slanted his head to give the question serious thought. "I do not believe I was injured in any way...I did not inhale water as my cousins did. I am just...exhausted..." he admitted. Frowning, he glanced at his father. "I do not wish to worry either of you. If you feel it is better for someone to remain with me, then...I would not object to you being there," he said to his father quietly. "I will be able to confess while cleaning and you will have no need to wait for your answers."

Odin wrapped an arm around Loki's shoulders, to offer him both support and comfort. "Very well."

"I will remain here... so I will not be far if either of you need me." Thor gave his brother a reassuring smile.

Odin gently led Loki through to the bathroom, retrieving his towel.

Loki nodded at Thor with a grateful smile. He could hear Mack coming into the suite, likely wanting to check and make sure he was alright.

Once Thor had gone into the other room, Loki quickly ran water into the tub, stepping in and sliding down till his shoulders were covered by the water. He washed his hair first, then the rest of himself. Finally, he lay back wearily, letting himself soak for a tiny bit longer before getting out.

He looked at his father, a chagrined and guilty look in his eye. "We disobeyed. We went into the cave we were told not to...and got turned around and unable to find our way out. We had hoped to get out without my having to teleport, but then the tide came in and suddenly, it was urgent and we had no choice but for me to get us all out. Even so, I was almost too late; we were all under water...." His voice was calm but regretful. He really couldn't say why he'd thought it a good idea to disobey. That his cousins could have drowned made it worse.

"I know you were told not to go into the cave." Odin's voice was mild as he handed Loki his towel, pausing to see if he needed any help drying off. "There is never a good reason to put yourself in that kind of danger."

Loki only dried off haphazardly, too weary to bother drying thoroughly. "You are right, sir..." His voice was sad and guilty. "I know we were wrong...I was wrong. I deserve to be punished..." His voice was little more than a whisper at the end. He stopped drying and glanced around for clothing he'd forgotten to bring in the bath. His hair was still dripping.

Odin stepped closer to his son, reaching out to briskly dry him off. "I'll ask one of your brothers to bring in some clean clothes," he said, toweling off Loki's hair.

"Yes, sir." Loki stood still, grateful for his father's help. "Will you...would you..?" He hesitated, his face turning red. He knew he would be spanked...they'd all acted dangerously...but he didn't want to wait until he'd rested for it to occur. Not when he suspected it would be several days before his energy returned fully.

Odin left Loki's side just long enough to retrieve the clothes from Thor. He returned to his other son and began helping him dress without asking. "What is it?" he asked, his voice calm and gentle.

Loki couldn't face his father and ask his question. He felt ashamed at himself. "I know what I did wrong... I know why it was wrong... I'm...I'm sorry and ashamed and... Please punish me?" He winced, his face feeling hot. If his father hadn't been dressing him, he would have hid.

Odin frowned, though he didn't pause in dressing his son. "I am not entirely comfortable punishing you when you are this weak," he said seriously.

"I do not like having my poor choices stand between us," Loki said, in a tiny voice.

Odin finished helping Loki with his clothes and looked into his son's eyes. "How are you feeling?" he asked seriously.

Loki swallowed. "Beyond like a foolish, disobedient child?" he asked, in an almost childlike tone, but an obviously rhetorical manner. "I am sorely tired. But that tiredness will take time to abate, at least a day...possibly two. And I am not hurting in any other manner...."

"If you feel you are unable to wait, then we will deal with it now... but I would prefer not to harm you any further," Odin said honestly.

Loki bit his lower lip and looked close to crying, his exhaustion making it hard to control his emotions. "I do not know about harming me; I do not feel any pain...except here...." He put his fist to his heart. "I do not wish you to be angry, or upset or disappointed in me and...and..." He roughly ran the back of his hand over his eyes. "I am sorry.... And I...I think I need for you to decide what I need. I am very confused..." he admitted.

Odin responded by wrapping his arms around his son in a tight hug. "Then we will deal with it and it will be over with," he promised. "But there is nothing that could make me love you any less."

Loki only nodded against his father's chest. "I love you too, daddy..." He shivered, calming down considerably when he realized his father wasn't going to leave him to suffer in his guilt.

"I'll ask your brothers to give us some privacy." Odin carefully led Loki into the bedroom, quietly suggesting to Thor and Mack they might want to join the others for food.

"Of course, dad," Mack agreed quickly, leaving the suite and heading back downstairs to eat with the others.

"We'll bring some food up for you," Thor promised, before following his younger brother.

Once the two of them were gone, Odin drew Loki over to the bed and took a seat, gently tugging his son across his lap.

Loki willingly went, wrapping his arms around his father's leg in a tight hug and holding on.

Rubbing Loki's back gently a moment or two, Odin then bared him before lifting his hand and bringing it down in the first hard swat that he then repeated.

Loki barely grunted, but his grip did tighten considerably. The fact he was already crying was also very obvious.

Taking a tighter grip on Loki, Odin continued landing the swats down to his thighs and then started over from the top. It was during the second circuit he began speaking. "You shouldn't have been in the cave. Not only because you were disobeying clear orders... but you could have gone through a lot worse than exhaustion."

"Ye...yes, daddy..." Loki choked out. He'd realized that immediately when the water had started pouring in. What hurt the worst was that he knew if he had protested his cousins' plans, they would likely have listened. If any of them had died, he would not have forgiven himself.

"If anything had happened to you, all of us would have been devastated," Odin said seriously, as he completed the second circuit and began a third, increasing the force and speed a bit.

Loki couldn't stop his tears from becoming louder. "I'm sorry, daddy...I'm sorry..." He sobbed, fully repentant, but having no idea how to convey the fact. Finally, he just gave up and went completely limp over his father's knee. "I'm sorry, daddy..." he whispered, as he grasped forlornly at his father's leg.

Odin finished with a final two swats and then stopped, quickly gathering his son into a close, tight embrace.

Loki threw his arms around his father and burrowed close, sobbing. "I almost lost her, daddy....the water just ripped her away from me...if I hadn't got her hand...."

Odin held his son tight, gently stroking his hair. "You were able to grab her," he said reassuringly. "You saved her... you saved all of them." He didn't point out they wouldn't have needed saving if they hadn't entered the cave, not wanting to make Loki feel worse.

"I...I shouldn't have needed to save her..." Loki sounded broken. Maybe if he weren't as tired as he was, he could have dealt with his guilt and fear better; but he was that tired. And if he couldn't admit he knew how wrong he was to his father, who could he admit it to?

"You shouldn't have needed to," Odin agreed. "But after you got trapped, you were able to save her." He kissed the top of his son's head.

"Why do I keep doing things you tell me not to do?" Loki sniffled, snuggling closer to his father. "I used to be better at following orders...it was Thor who'd rush off and do the opposite of what was expected...but Thor grew up and I..." He winced and sniffled again, pressing as close to Odin as he could. He left unsaid that he felt like he'd regressed in maturity.

Odin gently stroked his hair. "Your brother is older than you," he pointed out. "And you are one of the younger members of the family, in terms of your maturity, despite your experiences. There are going to be mistakes. They aren't the end of the world and when they need to be, they will be dealt with."

"Ok..." Loki snuggled closer still, his crying finally ceasing; just in time for him to fall asleep in his father's arms.

Odin stood, careful not to wake his son, and carefully carried Loki towards the bed. Settling his son in under the blankets, he sat on the edge of the bed, so he'd be there for when Loki woke up.

***

Mack was downstairs, helping finish up dinner. "I think I will eat upstairs with my father; he's staying with Loki, to make certain all that is wrong with him is exhaustion. It looks and smells great...." He smiled at everyone as he made two plates and drinks and put them on a tray...then waited for Thor to do the same, since he suspected his older brother would be joining them too.

Thor put his own food on his tray, placing some on for Loki... since, although he suspected his brother would be resting, he wanted there to be some food for when Loki woke up. "I am ready," he told his brother.

"Later!" Mack grinned at the rest of the family, before heading upstairs to feed his father and brother, Thor following.

***

"Yes, sir, I'd like a shower, if that's okay..." Grant answered.

"Me too..." Raina sounded more confident than she had a right to, Grant thought, but then again, she hadn't been in trouble with their father yet either. She'd figure it out soon enough.

Coulson nodded as he led them towards their room. "I won't insist on staying in the bathroom while you both shower... however, I do expect you to do so with the door not actually locked. If something happens, I'm going to need to get in to you."

***

Kara snuggled closer to her father, oblivious to the trail of dirty water she left in her wake, or the fact she was getting her father wet.

Fury led Kara immediately to the bathroom. "Would you rather have a shower or a bath?" he asked her, his voice gentle.

Kara had gone with her father to their own suite, snuggling close the whole time.

Collecting his daughter's towel and pajamas from the room, Fury led her into the bathroom and began running the water for a bath.

Kara put the lid on the toilet down and sat, not moving to remove her clothing. She seemed lost in thought, a pensive little pout on her face. She felt guilty. She may not have heard any of the 'rules' that they'd been given when first arriving, but she knew that wasn't an excuse to break them. She should have been listening and not depending on other people to warn her away from trouble. And it was obvious by the way everyone else acted that going into the cave had been a rule they weren't meant to break. She sniffed then coughed lightly, suddenly unable to look at her father. "Was it terribly naughty of me to go in the cave?" she asked hesitantly, figuring the fact that they'd almost drowned meant it was a lot more than just 'naughty', but not sure she wanted it confirmed.

As much as she liked her father being in charge, freeing her up to concentrate on remembering her past and relearning things, instead of on making decisions for things that she sometimes got conflicting ideas about, she didn't like the results when she ignored what he told her. Especially when she knew the results were a full-fledged spanking. Reminder spankings were one thing; they didn't really hurt and made her feel safe. Real spankings? Well, she couldn't argue that they made her feel unsafe- they didn't...they made her feel safe too, for different reasons, but they hurt! And she always ended up crying like a baby. And because he never spanked for anything less than risking her life, her father always had an undertone, if not full blown tone, of worry in his voice as he scolded...so she could never be upset about the fact that he was making her bottom sore, only feel guilty that she'd worried him so deeply he felt a need to make her bottom sore. About the only good thing about getting a full-fledged spanking was the cuddles and forgiveness after. Those she liked. She sighed forlornly. "I'm not going to be able to sit right for the rest of the evening, am I?"

Fury's face was serious when he looked at his daughter. "From what it looks like, Loki was only just able to teleport all of you here in time. Things could have been a lot worse. Endangering yourself for any reason is not acceptable." He didn't raise his voice, but there was a heavy weight behind his words.

Kara bit her lip, remembering that brief moment when she'd lost her grip on Loki, right before he'd grabbed her hand. She was completely engulfed by the rushing water. She'd known in that brief few seconds that she was going to die; and then Loki had thankfully grabbed her and then they were on the kitchen floor. It had all happened so fast, she hadn't really processed the fact.

"I almost drowned..." she admitted in a whisper; not wanting to worry or upset her father more, but not wanting to hide anything from him, either. "I lost hold of him...but he somehow grabbed my hand at the last second...."

Fury's eyes narrowed in worry and he reached out to gently squeeze his daughter's hand. "You're safe now," he said... as if trying to convince himself as much as her. The bath had finished running and he stood to help her undress.

Kara nodded mutely, standing up and holding still so her father could undress her; even if it made her a baby, she didn't do anything to help herself. She was finally realizing that one second too late and she would still be back in the cave underwater...dead. It caused her to shiver uncontrollably as her close call finally registered; her fingers were unable to grasp anything long enough to do any good and it was easier to let her father take care of her.

Fury helped his daughter into the bath, kissing the top of her head. He paused to see if she needed him to wash her hair or back, but still stayed in contact with her.

Kara washed everywhere she could reach easily. She couldn't reach her back...as for her hair, she'd have to lower herself down into the water to do that and she found she didn't particularly want to do that. Even though her father was right beside her and she knew he wouldn't let her drown, it was too hard to sink down into the water to get her hair ready to wash, let alone rinse, suds out. She hunched forward so that her back was exposed, then bit her lip and gave her father a wide-eyed, hesitant look, silently asking for either help or permission to just leave her hair dirty.

Fury immediately moved to start washing his daughter's hair, careful not to get soap in her eyes even while rinsing.

Kara couldn't help but shiver when the water went over her head. She didn't scare easily. She wasn't sure why she would have been so bothered about the water going over her head when they actually got out- she hadn't drowned- but it did bother her. Only the fact that her father was there and she knew he would never let her drown allowed her to keep from panicking. Even if she didn't panic, her breathing still increased in speed. But she held still as her father finished washing her hair for her and held still so he could wash her back...and she thought about what she could say to him, what explanation she could give, because she knew, 'I wasn't paying attention when you were giving out the rules and so didn't know I wasn't supposed to' would make him more unhappy. Sighing softly, she whispered, "I'm sorry...."

"I know." Fury finished, each movement gentle, and then helped his daughter out of the bath. Wrapping the towel around her, he began carefully drying her off.

Kara held still as her father dried her then carefully pulled on the pajamas he'd brought in for her. As soon as she was dressed, she threw her arms around him tightly. "I love you, daddy, and I'm ready to answer questions and I'm sorry I disappointed you..." she mumbled into his chest.

Fury hugged her tight, kissing the top of her head. "We'll go and talk in our room," he said, knowing his sons knew he had Kara in hand and would give the two of them the space they needed.

"Ok, daddy..." Kara snuggled closer and allowed her father to lead her into their room.

Fury led Kara into the bedroom and walked over to sit on the bed, drawing his daughter down to sit next to him. "Can you explain to me, in your own words, what happened?"

"Well, we were walking and looking at stuff...and Raina was interested in those mushrooms she told everyone about...and they went into the cave and she wanted to see if there was any variation or something to those in the cave from those outside...and at first, Grant and Loki seemed reluctant, but then they agreed...and I thought it might be fun to go explore a cave and since all the others weren't talking each other out of it, I figured it would be ok...and we went in and somehow got turned around and lost and before we could find our way out, the water was going really quick and Loki decided the only way out was him teleporting us...and he had us all hold onto him, but I lost my grip, but somehow, he grabbed me again and then we were in the kitchen...." She rushed through the explanation with one breath, before gulping in air and giving her father a nervous look.

Fury kept his arm around Kara's shoulders throughout the explanation and when she finished, he sighed and looked at her seriously. "You were all told not to enter that cave in particular even before we'd all settled in," he pointed out, then waited to see what his daughter would say to that.

Kara bit her lip and turned red with shame. "I wasn't really listening when the rules were being given out," she admitted, with a wince. "I figured, if I wasn't 'sposed to, someone would stop me...."

Fury sighed. "You can't always rely on someone else to keep you out of trouble," he said, his voice gentle but still serious. "You need to listen to rules when they're explained. They're for your own safety."

Kara bit her lip and swallowed, looking down at her hands. "I...I know. I knew...I..." Slumping, she finally looked up into her father's eyes again. "I should have listened," she admitted softly. "Everything I did was the wrong thing..." she admitted even more softly. "I...I need to be more responsible...I know this...I can't imagine that I was ever so irresponsible before; I'd never have lasted as a SHIELD agent if I was...so..." She blinked back tears that were suddenly sliding down her face. "I'm sorry, daddy...." Sniffling once more, she stood and shifted so that she was closer to her father's knee, but found her bravery and willingness to accept consequences for her actions fled when it came to actually bending over and placing herself on her father's knee. Even if she wanted to be more responsible...it was too difficult. Especially when she hadn't been deliberately pushing for her father to take her in hand. It truly had been accidental; or, at least, as accidental as not paying attention and listening allowed it to be.

Fury took a gentle hold of his daughter's wrist and drew her across his lap. Securing her with an arm wrapped around her waist, he bared her and then brought his hand down in the first hard swat that he then repeated.

"Ow..." Kara couldn't help the tiny whimper that escaped as her father began to punish her. Between feeling so guilty about completely ignoring his attempts to protect her- she knew she should have paid attention and listened- and the fear she'd felt for those moments before Loki had gotten them all to safety...she really wasn't in a strong place emotionally. Being brave and accepting the punishment without reacting immediately was beyond her. Even if she had been able to be brave and accept it without reacting immediately with someone else, it would have required her to pretend she wasn't affected and that was something she couldn't do with her father. When it came to Fury, Kara was an open book; she just wasn't able to pretend with him, so didn't see any point in trying. Within seconds of the second swat landing, tears were streaming from her eyes and she reached up miserably to wipe them away, even as she grasped onto her father's leg tightly with the other hand.

Fury completed the first circuit of swats, pausing briefly to rub his daughter's back, before he started the second circuit. It was then he began speaking. "Putting yourself in danger... in any kind of danger... is not acceptable. If Loki hadn't grabbed you in time and something had happened, it would have devastated the whole family."

"I know, daddy!" Kara wailed softly, trying to at least keep her voice down, even if she couldn't prevent any of her other reactions. "I'm soooorrry!" she hiccoughed, before starting to sob and squirm over Fury's lap. Even if he wasn't swatting as hard as he could have- and for all she knew, he wasn't swatting as hard as he normally did- Kara just wasn't able to keep it together emotionally and it made it hurt worse than it normally did (at least, it seemed to).

It was hard, but Fury forced himself to continue, swatting a bit harder and faster. "You need to listen when you're told not to do something or not to go somewhere," he scolded.

"Y..y..yes, daddy!" Kara agreed easily enough...She had regretted not listening before her father ever found out she'd not paid attention. Sobbing louder and squirming even more frantically at the harder, faster swats, she finally threw both hands back to try and cover her bottom, nearly sending herself face-first onto the floor in the process.

Fury tightened his hold on his daughter, moving her hands out of the way and against her back as he delivered a final few swats to her sit spots and thighs and then stopped, gathering Kara into a close, tight embrace.

"Ow...ow...ow...Daaaaddy!" Kara somehow managed to whine pathetically in a sob, while curling up into her father's arms as tightly as she could get. She wasn't ashamed to admit she needed him to hold her...tightly. Once assured that he wasn't going to let go, she just continued to cry, though it was more to release the final remnants of her fear and guilt than because of pain. As much as it had hurt during the spanking, it hadn't lasted much beyond the final swat. She shifted gingerly. Ok...maybe it hurt a little bit beyond the final swat, the swatted area sensitive and tender.

Fury hugged his daughter tight and kissed the top of her head. "I love you," he said to her, his voice soft. "I don't ever want to risk losing you."

"Wish your love didn't sting so much..." she mumbled impishly, snuggling just that tiny bit closer. She continued, more seriously, "I love you too, daddy. I'm sorry I worry you...."

"I worry about you because I love you," Fury said. "It's a part of being your father." He kissed her forehead.

Kara hummed slightly under her breath and continued to snuggle for a few moments more before she reluctantly stood and fixed her clothing. "Will we be eating downstairs with everyone else?" she asked softly, even as she sat back on her father's lap so she could snuggle some more, only a slight wince betraying the fact that she could still feel her father's admonishment. She put her head on Fury's shoulder, her eyes partly closing.

"What would you prefer to do?" Fury asked gently.

"I...I think maybe I want to just be with you and Trip and Brock tonight..." she admitted, almost shyly. "I...I'm not really hungry, even though I know you expect me to eat...and what I really want is to just cuddle...."

"I do expect you to eat, but we can ask your brothers to bring some food up for you both," Fury suggested.

"Thank you, daddy..." Kara's voice was childlike as she continued to snuggle. "I...I feel afraid to leave you...as long as you're holding me, I feel safe, but as soon as I move away, I feel anxious...but it'd be hard for you to eat with me sitting on your lap..." She sounded a little sad.

"You can sit next to me," Fury suggested, after tapping out a quick message to his sons, asking them to bring food for him and Kara.

Kara smiled happily. "Ok..." She leaned against her father, continuing to snuggle, even as he sent the message to her brothers. She'd just follow her father wherever he took her.

Ten minutes later, Trip was knocking on door to Fury's room. "We've got the food out here in the sitting area, dad..." he called in gently, not wanting to walk in and disturb his father and sister unless invited. He glanced over at Brock, who was placing the plates of food around the coffee table.

"I hope everyone wanted juice...that's what I brought up," Brock said quietly, as his father and sister came out of the bedroom and walked toward the couches.

Fury smiled in thanks at his sons and settled on the couch, drawing his daughter down next to him. "Everything you've brought up is fine," he said.

Kara smiled at both her brothers, then began eating, staying as close to her father as she could without hindering his own ability to eat.

***

Bobbi had watched as Loki and Kara had both gone up to their individual suites with their fathers, noting that the siblings had gathered food for all their immediate family so they could go up as well when the coast was clear. Without any thought at all, she began to prepare plates for Grant, Raina and their father. She wasn't certain if everyone in her family would be joining her father, brother and sister once Coulson had taken care of matters, but she wanted to be sure they at least had a meal ready.

Clint smiled at his baby sister, then at Nat, Wanda and Pietro. "I'm thinking when dad is ready for them to eat, we can all join them. We have one of the larger suites and there is enough seating and the coffee table is large enough to hold all the plates..." He glanced toward the rest of the family, whose family members didn't get into any trouble. "Is that all right with the rest of you?" he asked the remaining parental figures.

Steve nodded. "I'm sure you can always leave the food on a lower heat," he suggested. "When your father's ready, let me know... I'll help you all carry the food up to your room."

"Thanks, Uncle Steve." Bobbi smiled.

****

Grant had followed his father to their suite, Raina between them. He was quiet, thinking about what he'd done...and he knew there was no good reason for it. He felt guilty and ashamed of his actions and the slump in his shoulders gave that fact away easily.

Raina wasn't sure what to expect...although she suspected what she should expect. To her surprise, she felt as guilty and ashamed as Grant looked. She hadn't expected to feel guilt or shame. She swallowed hard as they trailed their father into the sitting area.

Coulson kept in contact with his son and daughter, guiding them over to one of the longer couches and taking a seat with one on either side of him. "I'd like both of you to explain to me, in your own words, what happened." His voice was firm, but still held a gentle undercurrent. He made no attempt to hide how worried he was about what had happened.

Raina glanced at Grant, then took a deep breath and began. "I was examining different fungi and noticed it went back into the cave. I wanted to see if there was any variation between what was outside the cave and what was in it...."

"I went with her because I didn't want her going in alone," Grant said quietly. "I knew it was wrong...I should have tried harder to convince her not to go, instead of letting her convince me to go."

"Was there any confusion about the cave?" Coulson asked them directly. "I assume you recognised it as being the one everyone was warned against entering... my understanding is it's more like a hole than a cave, which was why the warning was given. You were very lucky that Loki was able to teleport all of you out."

"No, sir...." Twin answers filled with shame and regret responded to Coulson.

Grant continued, "We knew exactly what cave it was. We wanted to see it and thought, since high tide was at least two hours away and we were going to be there five minutes at most, we'd be alright."

"We were very lucky Loki was able to get us out. We got turned around inside the cave and couldn't find the opening...." Raina whispered.

Coulson nodded. "If something had happened to either of you... to any of you... it would have been devastating. Not just to me, but everyone else here." He squeezed them both gently, even as he addressed his daughter. "I know you haven't personally experienced how we handle things in the family yet, Raina... I think we should have our discussion first."

Raina swallowed and tried not to get even more nervous as she noticed her brother wincing. "Ok..." she whispered uncertainly, not entirely sure what she would need to do; and if her brother would be present for it.

Grant took a tiny breath and let it out in an unhappy sigh before asking, "Do you want me to go wait in my bedroom?"

Coulson nodded to his son. "That would probably be best." While they had both got into trouble together, he didn't think either would cope with being in the same room, even if he stood one of them in the corner.

Grateful that he was being allowed to go to the other room, Grant quickly stood and walked into his bedroom and shut the door softly behind him. He went and sat on his bed, shoulders slumped and head bowed so he was staring at the floor.

Raina finally looked up into Coulson's face. "I shouldn't have encouraged disobedience in anyone, let alone think of it myself. I knew the reason the cave was off limits. It was hubris to think that I would be able to do it safely and didn't need to listen to the warnings..." she admitted in a whisper. "I...I am not used to feeling this...this sense of guilt and remorse...nothing bad happened to any of us, even if it could have, so I do not need to feel guilt over anyone being hurt. My guilt is completely because I...I disappointed you and failed to meet your expectations for me. That I worried you with what could have happened. I've never cared about anyone's expectations or if they'd be disappointed before..." She sounded confused and a little put out about the fact.

Coulson wrapped both of his arms around Raina in a tight hug. "You have a family who cares about your safety and well-being," he pointed out, his voice gentle. "Even if you aren't used to having that... I think you know and believe that I love you and you are as much my daughter as your siblings are my sons and daughters."

"So...because I know I am yours now, it matters when I disregard your opinion and feelings...it matters when I disappoint you..." The confusion was gone from her voice this time, even if she did sound a little irritated by the realization. "I don't like feeling guilty this way....if it is tied to how we are now tied together, I won't be able to behave the way I did before, or I'll always feel guilty..." She huffed slightly, but sounded resigned to the fact. It was telling that, instead of pulling away from the hug, she snuggled closer.

Coulson gently stroked her hair. "Doing something to make you feel this way isn't the end of the world. We'll deal with what happened, which will be a punishment... but after that, it will be over with. I don't hold grudges. We won't keep having to talk about this... and although it is painful and emotional, it will be over fast and you will be forgiven."

"I believe you...and I trust you...doesn't make it easier. And I...I'd rather not do things to disappoint or upset you anyway; it's just going to be hard. I've always done what I wanted when I wanted without...boundary. Even when I had boundaries, I found ways around them...but I can't do that now if it will upset you, because I'll feel guilty. And...I don't like pain." She frowned faintly, not realizing how much like a pout it looked.

"I know." Coulson threaded his fingers through her hair. "That's one of the reasons it's effective. But even though it'll hurt... it won't harm you."

"No...just make me feel like a naughty child who can't control herself to the point Daddy needs to step in..." She sighed, her face turning pink. "Another way it's effective...." Biting her lip, she glanced up into her father's face. "What do I need to do?" she finally asked quietly, resolved to accept the consequences of her actions like an adult, even if she felt anything but at the moment.

"You don't need to do anything," Coulson said gently. "I'm going to take you over my lap and bare you... and then the spanking will begin." He waited long enough to let that sink in and then added action to words.

Raina turned even brighter red. It was bad enough to be in a position where Coulson felt the need to correct her...but it was in such a personal way that she couldn't even hope to pretend it meant nothing. She felt guilty and ashamed...and now she also felt completely out of her depth and out of control. It was unsettling. She didn't fight the position, though, instead quietly reaching down and holding onto her father's leg. "I will never be in this position again if there is anything at all I can do to avoid it...I'll do my best to listen from now on..." she promised herself, almost as much as she was promising Coulson.

"Even if you make a mistake, it isn't the end of the world," Coulson promised. "And it won't change how I feel about you." Taking a tighter grip on his daughter, he bared her before gently rubbing her back a few moments and then bringing his hand down in the first sharp swat.

She let out a tiny hiss at the first swat, surprised at how much it stung. She knew he wasn't using nearly as much force as he could, so the fact that it still hurt made quite an impression. "M...maybe not," she finally forced out, between clenched teeth as she tensed up and tried to 'prepare' herself for the swats to come. "..But I...I don't like this. I'm a big girl...I should know how to be good...and not get into trouble...and upset you so you have to spank me...." If she'd realized that the vulnerability she felt had caused her to fall into using somewhat childish phrasing for her explanations, she would have been even more embarrassed, but she didn't realize.

"You aren't alone in this." Coulson's gentle voice was in stark contrast to the swats he was delivering. "Being part of a family doesn't mean you're perfect or that you don't make mistakes. It means you're loved, unconditionally, no matter what."

"Even when I deliberately disobey orders?" Raina managed to squeak out, finding it difficult to hold still and not react to the swats.

"Even then," Coulson promised. "You're mine. You're always going to be, no matter what happens."

"I'm sorry I disobeyed..." Raina finally said, in a quivery voice, before a distressed whine escaped and she couldn't hide how the punishment was affecting her any longer. Giving a tear filled sob, she threw a hand back and tried to squirm off her father's lap.

Coulson caught Raina's hand and held it against her back, swatting a bit harder and faster. "You shouldn't have put yourself in danger," he said. "If anything had happened... if Loki hadn't been able to get you out in time... I would have been devastated."

"I'm sorry...I didn't think of that...I didn't think of anyone else...I was se...se...selfish and I'm sorry!" Raina was crying too hard to talk anymore...everything after that point was incoherent, as she tried to breathe through tears and through attempting to squirm out of reach. She eventually gave up any attempt at escape, though; she knew she was going nowhere and the effort had only worn her out. She finally just slumped bonelessly over her father's lap and sobbed. "...Sorry...so sorry, Baba!"

Coulson stopped immediately, drawing Raina up and into his arms, settling her on his lap and hugging her tight. He kissed her head and stroked her hair, not loosening his tight hold even a little.

Raina didn't know how long she cried before she calmed down enough to realize she was being held and not spanked. As soon as she did realize, she wrapped her arms around Coulson and held tight. "I'm sorry, Baba..." she repeated in a whisper.

Coulson kissed her head and hugged her tight. "I know. I love you." His voice was soft, but no less sincere.

Raina snuggled a bit more before softly replying, "I love you too." Clearing her throat, she reluctantly stood and fixed her clothing. "Should I go wait in my bedroom now?" she asked hesitantly.

"You can... or you can go and join the other family members downstairs," Coulson replied. "I expect they'll be bringing food up for us all in any case."

"I...I want to stay near you..." Raina admitted in a tiny voice. Swallowing, she began to walk gingerly to her room, rubbing her bottom as she went. It didn't hurt anymore- a mild sting, really- but she was still having a hard time wrapping her head around the fact that her father had spanked her...even if he had been clear that would be the result should she ever deliberately put herself in danger for no good reason. Stopping at her door, she glanced back at Coulson and smiled. "Thank you for telling me the truth…and following through," she whispered, before going into her room and closing the door softly.

Coulson returned Raina's smile, warmly, before he stood and walked to Grant's room, knocking once to announce his presence before he entered.

Grant looked up from where he was sitting on the edge of his bed. His shoulders were slumped in guilty, shamed dejection. He was already freely crying and not attempting to hide the evidence; he'd heard every swat Raina had received and he'd heard her reaction and he couldn't help feel some responsibility for the fact they'd all got into trouble. "I should've stopped them all, insisted we obeyed, not joined them wholeheartedly in disobeying..." he whispered.

Coulson walked over to sit down next to his son, wrapping an arm around Grant's shoulders. "Do you have anything else to add?" he asked seriously.

"No, sir," Grant said soberly. "I deliberately disobeyed for no good reason...I can't justify my actions. I don't even have a good excuse. " He swallowed hard. "I feel so ashamed and guilty and I'm sorry... I don't know what to do to make it right, though...."

"We'll deal with what happened," Coulson promised. "Making a mistake isn't the end of the world, son." He squeezed Grant gently and kissed the side of his head.

Grant nodded sadly. "Ok...thanks, daddy. I deserve you to be upset and angry; I don't understand how you can be so calm...." He sighed softly, pressing toward the kiss.

"Because I love you," Coulson replied simply. He held his son close for a few seconds more before speaking quietly. "Are you ready to get this over with?"

Grant snuggled close, holding onto his father tightly. At the question, he took a tiny breath then nodded. "Yes, daddy..." His voice was soft and guilt filled, but sure.

Coulson pressed another kiss to Grant's head and then gently drew his son across his lap, securing him with an arm wrapped around his waist before he bared him.

Grant shivered a little, but it was almost entirely due to his effort to keep his tears from becoming vocal. His father may have seen them streaming down his face, but Grant didn't think it was fair to make him listen to them before the punishment had even begun. It was already hard for his father, he knew; he'd brought this on himself. He wasn't going to make things harder. Even so, he had to grasp blindly for his father's leg, the tears so thick, he couldn't see.

Coulson rubbed Grant's back gently and then raised his hand, bringing it down in the first sharp swat that he then repeated.

Grant inhaled quickly, then again, with each swat administered. He attempted to lie loosely over his father's knee- to not tense up or do anything else to lessen the impact of what was occurring. Knowing he'd brought this on himself...knowing what could have happened because of his poor decision...he deserved whatever pain accompanied the punishment. At the same time, not reacting at all was beyond him and he couldn't help but let out tiny huffs of air or gasp in tiny gulps of air with each swat.

Coulson settled quickly into a pattern of swats, going down to Grant's thighs before starting over from the top. Partway through the second circuit, he began speaking. "Putting yourself in danger is not acceptable... will never be acceptable. And when you know something is dangerous and have been warned against it... I don't expect you to immediately rush straight into danger."

"Y...yessir....I know, sir..." Grant managed to get out between gulps of air and clenched teeth. His voice was shaky and heavy with tears, though and he was finding it more and more difficult not to just begin sobbing the further along in the punishment they advanced. "I...it was wrong and I...I knew it...and...it..it was a foolish...stupid...thing to do...and I'm sorry, daddy..." His voice wavered and got very quiet and small at the end, as if he was uncertain if Coulson would or could accept the apology. It was one thing to put your life in danger in the heat of the moment without thinking things through, or to disobey because you were worried and thought it was the only option without giving yourself time to think of other options...it was quite another to calmly decide to put your life in danger by disobeying a direct order, just because you didn't want to listen. Grant knew that. He was quite honestly surprised that his father wasn't being harsher with him, given the circumstances. Grant wished he would be.

"I know." Coulson's voice was calm and soft... in stark contrast to the force behind the swats. "But losing you would be devastating. Losing you again would be more pain than I could handle. Than any of us could bear."

Grant closed his eyes tightly at those words. Hearing how his actions could have hurt the rest of his family so badly hurt worse than the spanking did; and by this point, his backside felt like it was on fire, so there wasn't a lack of pain there. He squeezed his father's leg more tightly and forced himself to hold still, but couldn't stop the tiny sob from escaping. "Please, daddy..." Grant finally whimpered...begging; not for his father to stop spanking him (he was positive he deserved every swat), but for his father not to remind him how selfish his actions had been...how devastated the family would have been if things had turned out differently. Thinking about that hurt so much he wasn't certain how to deal with it.

Coulson wasn't prepared to be severe with his son... at least not physically. But he knew this kind of reckless behaviour had to stop. And he had to make Grant understand. So even though he heard his son's plea, he forced himself to ignore it. "You have a family who cares about you. Who loves you. Taking yourself away from me is not allowed."

"N..no, sir. S'not allowed..." Grant agreed quickly, his voice sad and repentant...and closer to losing control. His guilt over what he had put his father and family through- what he could have put them through if things had gone differently- had grown, despite the spanking he was receiving. Normally, he could let the guilt go when he'd been punished for his actions; but this time, he wasn't able to do so and each word from his father reminding him of what losing him would do to the rest of them was twisting that guilt deeper, until he physically hurt from the knowledge and felt like he would....

"I'm going to be sick..." he gasped out, holding a hand over his mouth and suddenly fighting for all he was worth to get off of his father, not wanting to be sick on the older man.

Coulson stopped and moved to help his son, grasping the wastepaper basket so Grant could be sick in that. He still kept an arm around Grant's shoulders, his worry obvious.

There wasn't much to throw up - luckily or unluckily, depending on viewpoint - but Grant couldn't say dry heaving was any better. Finally, he was able to regain control over his stomach, miserably wiping his mouth with the tissue his father handed him. "Sorry..." he whispered forlornly, his shame at allowing himself to become so distraught over a deserved punishment and lecture that he would get sick piling onto the shame and guilt he already felt for his actions. "...I'm...I'm so sorry for everything..." he choked out, too tired and wrung out to fight his reactions any longer. He began to cry, softly at first, but once the dam burst, he couldn't hold the tears back and soon, he was sobbing so hard, no sound could make it out. "I'm sorry, daddy..." he repeated brokenly, while attempting to put himself back over his father's knee; not exactly an easy thing to do when Coulson had followed him down to the floor to help take care of him.

Coulson simply responded by wrapping his arms around Grant and hugging him tightly to himself. "You don't need to apologise for your reactions," he whispered in his son's ear, stroking his hair.

Grant uncertainly wrapped his arms around his father and held tight; uncertain not because he didn't trust in his father's love and forgiveness, but because he wasn't sure if the punishment was over...normally, he didn't feel quite as guilty once his father had finished, even if there was a little residual guilt. This time...he felt just as guilty, if not more guilty. It was confusing. Of course, all the other times he'd gotten into trouble for risking his life, he hadn't also been risking family member's lives....

Sniffling and snuggling closer, he whispered, "It didn't make things better this time, daddy...." He sounded like a confused and lost child, but he was already too upset at everything else to be embarrassed at wearing his emotions where his father could read him like a book.

Coulson threaded his fingers through Grant's hair and kissed his forehead. "Sometimes the guilt isn't so easy to get rid of," he said softly.

Grant sniffled again, but didn't say anything else...he knew his father was right and knew the fact Kara, Raina and Loki could have died, too; and for no good reason at all- they weren't even trying to stop bad guys- made things worse and even if they made their own choices, he still felt responsible.

"Will you ground me?" Grant winced at the fact he sounded like he wanted to be grounded. But he knew as guilty as he felt, if his dad didn't do something, he'd probably end up doing something stupid to try and fix things himself.

"Yes." It had already been in Coulson's mind anyway, but more so knowing how much the guilt had affected his son. "You're going to be staying close to me." He pressed another kiss to his son's forehead. "But I've never stopped loving you," he whispered to him.

Grant looked up and gave his father a bleary tear filled smile. "I know, daddy. I never doubt your love. Or your patience, even though I test it immensely..." He looked down and blushed, before standing and fixing his clothes. "Let me go get cleaned up and get rid of my mess...I'll meet you in the sitting room?" he asked cautiously.

Coulson nodded and stood, gently squeezing Grant's shoulder. "I'll send a message to the rest of the family to come up with some food while you're doing that."

Grant nodded, heading to the bath and carrying the waste paper basket with him.

***

Bobbi had got all the food together and was now looking anxiously toward the steps, worry for her two siblings preventing her from focusing on anything else.

Natasha heard her phone and checked the screen. "Dad says it's safe for us to head up now."

Clint's eyes widened as his baby sister blurred past him with several plates of food. "Ok, then, let me help you with the rest..." He chuckled slightly, giving Natasha, his own two children and the remaining family members a shrug and a grin before picking up the remaining plates. "Pietro, Wanda, help your Aunt Nat with the drinks, please?" he asked softly, as he gathered the remaining plated food and began to follow Bobbi.

Steve, as promised, moved to help his nieces and nephews with the drinks. Pietro looked like he might zoom up the stairs... but due to his other family members heading up, he curbed his speed and stayed next to his sister.

Despite having been told it was safe to come up, Bobbi still paused outside the suite door and knocked, waiting for permission to enter.

Clint stood behind his sisters and children, next to his uncle. "Thanks for the help, uncle Steve. I get the feeling we may be staying in the suite the rest of tonight, but if that changes and dad says we can go down to the beach and have another bonfire, one of us will let you know. Not that you can't have one on your own, of course...." Clint grinned impishly.

Steve smiled at Clint in return. "I don't know yet what we're doing, but whatever is going on... I'm sure we can let you know in case it's something we think you'd like to join in with."

Coulson opened the door and smiled at his brother, children and grandchildren. "Come in." He took what Steve was carrying, expecting his brother to join the other members of the family, and moved back so that everyone else could go inside.

"See you later, uncle Steve," Bobbi called out, before disappearing into the room.

Grant had cleaned up and was heading back into the sitting room. The only evidence that something had been wrong was the redness in his eyes and the careful way he walked. He smiled at his siblings and niece and nephew. "Hi..." His voice was soft and embarrassed.

Natasha walked over to her youngest brother and brushed shoulders with him. "What do you want to drink? We brought quite a wide selection."

Steve said a quick goodbye as he walked back down to join the others.

Coulson placed the items he was carrying on the table and then walked to Raina's bedroom and knocked on her door.

Raina came out looking a bit more herself than Grant did, the only evidence she'd got in trouble the way she was more reserved.

"Cola, please..." Grant answered Natasha with a crooked grin.

Bobbi began passing out the plates of food and soon, they were all eating.

***

Tony looked up as his father returned back downstairs. "Everyone ok?" he asked, with a hint of worry. "I swear...I think I need to just block off that cave; if I didn't think it would mess with the island's ecosystem...."

"They're fine." Steve walked over to join them, sitting and smiling at his children and grandchildren. "And if it wasn't the cave... it probably would have been something else." He was fairly certain the deliberate disobedience had been about pushing.

"Yeah." Tony sighed, realizing his father was more than likely right. "Luckily, I don't think there are any other things quite as dangerous..."

"Don't jinx us, sweetie," Pepper teased, with a tiny grin.

Steve squeezed Tony's shoulder gently. "Hopefully, nothing else will happen on this vacation and we can just concentrate on family bonding time."

"Hopefully..." Tony gave his father a smile.