Kate Returns Home Ch. 07

[This story includes bodily functions and discipline. If any of this offends you, please read no further. All characters are well over 18. My thanks to Leslie Jones for encouraging me to use her Women's Republic setting and her characters.]

Things were going well for Kate, back at her job as Commandant of the Disciplinary & Retraining Unit of the Women's Republic Corrections Service. She still had gone farther at a younger age--she was just 25--than anyone else had accomplished in the Service.

She had spent some time in her hometown--the second city of the Republic--after getting married, as the Republic allowed now, to one man and one woman: Harry and Glenda and was in love with both. Now, she was dealing with how to make her triangular marriage succeed while she was located some distance away in the capital.

Harry was a handsome successful lawyer in private practice with a small firm and Glenda was an executive in a consulting firm. Kate had met her while trying to help her brother Steve, who had gotten into a tussle with Glenda, who was his boss. By writing to Glenda, Kate had stirred interest on the part of Steve's boss, who gravitated toward the young, smart officer in the Corrections Service.

Kate, as the "responsible woman" in her "household" consisting of Glenda, Harry, and her, had to exercise authority. The Republic required household members to obtain written permission from their household's responsible woman to attend school away from home, and even to travel around the Republic on a regular basis.

It was difficult, she realized, to perform these duties while located away from Harry and Glenda. She missed them. They had careers where they were, so it seemed hard to move them to her locale. Kate was also the responsible woman for her own family in the second city. She had designated her stepmom, Jan, as her deputy for this purpose.

Harry was accustomed to living his own independent life. He adored Kate, however, and was happy to defer to her. He did have a fear, however, that she might designate Glenda as her deputy in their household and he didn't want to be subject to Kate's wife's deciding what he could do or go.

For her part, Glenda loved Kate, too, but didn't want to get involved with any control over Harry's doings. She did have the hots for him but would never dare to do anything to act on that so as to anger Kate.

Although getting Kate's approval on forms was something of an annoyance for Harry, in his fast-paced legal world, a part of him savored the delicious control this young, dominant woman had over him. Sex with her was a delight always and he felt her could live with her having control over him. If she did act arbitrarily or unkindly, he figured he could discuss it fairly with her.

Kate found that she missed them both a lot. Harry was a gorgeous guy with a thoroughly nice manner and was always a gentleman in his considerate way. Glenda was not much older than Kate yet was a great companion, great fun in bed, and well-grounded in the way she conducted herself. Kate congratulated herself on her success, at least at this early point, in selecting such wonderful partners to marry.

She decided that she would travel home to be with them two weekends from now. She intended to stay at the new apartment they had secured, where each of the three had his or her own room. Kate's was the master bedroom with ensuite bath, denoting her centrality to the marriage. She spoke on the phone with both Harry and Glenda to let them know her plans. Both sounded pleased that she would be visiting soon. She also let her stepmom Jan know she was visiting but might not visit the family. She wanted Jan to come over to her place during the trip.

Kate decided to give Eleanor a call, too. She knew Eleanor had maintained a marriage with Jackson when she moved to the capital and eventually married Annette. Eventually, she decided that the marriage with Jackson was untenable, so she divorced him. Kate hoped she could learn from Eleanor how to make the distant marriage work.

Eleanor liked Kate a lot and was pleased to get her call. She respected her because she felt Kate was truly independent and made her own decisions. She told Kate that she had been thinking that it was probably good that she visit her sister Meredith in the second city where Meredith occupied Eleanor's apartment and was now married to Jackson, Eleanor's ex.

So, Eleanor asked Kate if she would like a traveling companion. She promised that she would stay at her old apartment and would not want to be a burden on Kate. Kate was delighted that Eleanor would ask to travel with her. Her sports car was just large enough for two to be comfortable riding. She gladly accepted Eleanor's offer and the two made plans for meeting up on the day of departure.

Kate forced herself to give some hard thought to the issue that Elaine had raised with her: she had given her partners total freedom by her to engage sexually with each other. Should she continue to have sex with others, mostly the several officers in the Service, including her deputy, Elaine, with whom she enjoyed spending intimate time?

Before she could leave for her trip, however, Kate had an important meeting with the chief of the Officer Review Division, COL Claudia. This division evaluated the performance of all commissioned officers in the Service on a regular basis; its reports on high-level personnel, such as unit and division heads like Kate, went directly to the Chief of Staff as well as to the officer being evaluated.

Kate has had success in her past reviews although she still was one of the youngest and newest division chiefs. COL Claudia welcomed her warmly and began by reviewing the numbers for Kate's Disciplinary & Retraining Division.

"Your numbers of those passing and failing the retraining program have been relatively constant, Major," COL Claudia began. "We expect that that will continue because overall, your success rate is good and personal quirks that are common among your population will make individual classes perform at different levels."

"The general tenor of observations we have received from both your own staff and those in the Service who deal with you has been excellent," she continued. "There only has been one matter we need to review."

Kate's danger sensor went into high gear. She anxiously awaited what would follow.

"The case of Sefton has been well handled," COL Claudia began, and Kate's face reddened. She tried to retain her composure.

"However, you did demote the two noncoms responsible for the preparation of the inmate for supervised release," she continued. "We need to be informed about what precipitated this demotion to sergeant."

"The two SFCs employed unauthorized practices to achieve laudable goals," Kate answered slowly. "Despite the success of their efforts, it was determined that this was a violation of their responsibilities and discipline was in order."

"So, they were demoted," COL Claudia said. "Were they otherwise disciplined?"

"Not as yet," Kate answered. "We were still pleased with the outcome. But we recognized that some action to deal with their misbehavior was necessary. We originally intended to reduce them several grades, not one or two. But we measured their misbehavior against what they achieved and that resulted in our actions."

"That is appropriate reasoning," COL Claudia said. "However, the unauthorized behavior still could harm the Service's image if it is fully disclosed or disclosed at all. You and your deputy have to answer for that problem."

"I admit it," Kate replied. "I feel we acted appropriately but others might not concur."

"You could be reduced in grade and relieved of your command," COL Claudia said. "But I have discretion here and choose to permit your decision to stand without taking any formal action. I'm considering making a notation on your record that you need to be reviewed sooner than standard procedure requires."

Kate knew that any such notation would cause questions to be asked. She thought for a moment and asked, "Colonel, would you consider disciplining me yourself to close this matter now?"

Claudia was 48 with slightly greying dark hair and a suburban-mom look with a wedge haircut and a perfectly-pressed uniform.

"I will take that as an offer to submit to such discipline as I may deem appropriate," she responded rather formally.

"Can that happen promptly?" Kate asked.

"It can happen now," COL Claudia replied. "Do I have your request and agreement?"

Even not knowing how she would be disciplined; Kate knew she was getting a break. She readily indicated her assent.

"Then stand, Major," Claudia said sternly, "and remove your uniform skirt."

Kate found herself in a trance but knew she needed to retain all her senses. She complied with COL Claudia's order.

"Bend over the trestle table," Claudia ordered, pointing to the table.

Having only her panties on below her waist, Kate moved over and bent across the disciplinary table. She now felt unusually exposed even before her panties came down.

Claudia stepped behind her and efficiently pulled Kate's white cotton panties down to her knees.

"Keep your legs apart and retain your underpants at your knees," she continued.

Kate again complied and felt the breeze now wafting through her legs and making her privates feel cool...at least for now. She felt more self-conscious than when she had accepted disciplining from Eleanor, Rachel, or Elaine, or anyone in her family. She wasn't sure how she might respond if COL Claudia ran her cane through Kate's legs or poked into any of her orifices.

The punishment, however, was administered by the book. COL Claudia picked up a large cane that was on her credenza. She stood behind and to the side of Kate, whose bare bottom faced her as it was pushed out from the table. She swished the heavy cane in the air with a natural air of familiarity bred from years in the Service. Then she drew the cane back and delivered a powerful stroke that led Kate to scream at the first blow.

The cane hurt deeply as well as it stung, Kate felt. She had not had a heavy cane applied to her in a long time: it was a revelation, and not a nice one.

Claudia proceeded to give her five more severe strokes that had her lurching, barely able to hang on to the table. Then the colonel told her that she could retrieve her clothing and that she had taken her punishment well.

"This will not be recorded," Claudia said when Kate was able to sit down again facing her. "We will mention in the report only that certain cases and their dispositive actions were discussed and resolved."

Kate looked at Claudia and allowed herself to smile despite her pain.

"Thank you for taking the action you have, Colonel," she said thankfully.

COL Claudia smiled in return and told her the review was complete and she congratulated MAJ Kate on her performance and that of her division.

"Thank you, Colonel," Kate said, saluted, turned, and walked calmly out of the office.

* * * *

Finally, the Friday on which she was to drive with Eleanor to see Harry and Glenda arrived. Eleanor was able to walk over to Kate's suite in the Officers' Quarters. When she arrived, Kate was still getting dressed.

Eleanor gave Kate a onceover look and smiled. "You have such uncomplicated and delightful taste in lingerie," she complimented Kate, indicating that she was impressed by Kate's shiny white bra and panty set. Kate had switched out of her white cotton undies to the shiny white panties she wore on special occasionsm like going to see her husband and wife.

Eleanor didn't add that it also presented Kate's adorable figure in fine form. She gave in to the temptation to take Kate in her arms and hug her.

Kate grinned and hugged her back. "I wish we had more time," she suggested, "to have some fun together right here."

"Well, we'll just have to get together when we return," Eleanor rejoined.

Kate thanked her and proceeded to finish getting dressed. The thought of involvement with anyone outside her marriage was now bothering her.

The two packed their cases into Kate's car and set out. As they spoke of their recent lives, Kate asked Eleanor about her marriage. "I really don't want to pry, Ellie," she began, "but I hope I can learn from you about trying to maintain a distant marriage and about marriage to a woman."

Eleanor responded that she was happy to discuss these matters because she liked Kate and wanted to help her deal with somewhat similar issues. Kate remained a bit wary of Eleanor only because she had been asked to discipline Eleanor previously, and had given her a severe caning.

Moreover, she also thought about Eleanor's marriage to the Service's Chief of Staff, Annette. She also respected Eleanor's own career achievements as the main creative force at the Goose Cookers firm, which was headquartered in the second city where Kate had grown up and where Eleanor had lived.

Kate often gave more thought to these two very severe canings she had given: the one to Marie, when it was learned that Marie had been having it off with Kate's dad, Steve; and the one to Eleanor, at Annette and Kate's apartment after the issue of Eleanor's barely ethical dealings with Kathryn emerged. She was starting to believe she had been too ready to apply the cane too harshly in these instances.

As they began the three-hour drive to the second city from the capital, Kate began their conversation by telling Eleanor what was on her mind.

"I'm sort of in a quandary now, Ellie," she began. "I've been all right with my two partners sleeping with each other when I'm not there, which is most of the time. We haven't spoken about their being with anyone else, but I've been with others off and on for some time. I'm not sure how to resolve this."

Eleanor knew that there was a good deal of intimacy among the commissioned officers of the Corrections Service. She also was highly aware of the liaisons within her own company, Goose Cookers.

"I think, Kate," she said, "that you just have to talk this out with your husband and wife. You are all mature, essentially good people, so you will be able to work out an agreement on what you all are OK with and what you aren't."

Kate also asked her about discipline within the marriage. "I did initially discipline them to see how this worked within our marriage," she said. "It seemed all right but I'm not sure how to proceed. Should I be the disciplinarian?"

Then she turned to Eleanor as they drove--it was a relatively open part of the road, so Kate wasn't neglecting staying alert with her eyes on the road. "I did want to ask you, Ellie," Kate began, "whether you hold some resentment in connection with my disciplining you at your apartment that time. I've been realizing that sometimes I get carried away and may apply too strong a hand--I may have done this at home when I caned the woman who had been having it off with my dad. I did that because I hated to see my stepmom hurt, but it may have been too much. Did I come down too hard on you as well?"

Eleanor smiled and told Kate that first of all, she, Eleanor, was very fond of Kate. "I liked you from the moment you first came to our place, I think with Rachel," she said. "You did discipline me severely, but I've had that kind of discipline--and worse, so I'm a big girl who can take it," she continued. "I'll let you in on how my marriage works. Annette and I both will call the other out if either of us feels the other has misbehaved in connection with our marriage. We have total trust in the perception we each have of each other and will accept the calling out and the punishment that follows."

"I should add that things didn't always go well with my husband, Jackson," she continued. "He had been a great support to me when I had been humiliated and unfairly punished with great severity. I was close to a national pariah, and he took me in and made me feel loved and stood by me.

"When we lived here, in my early days with Goose Cookers," she said slowly, "he seemed to grow apart because I think he resented my success and he felt that men were not being treated well in the Republic. He misbehaved so much that I sent him to a retraining camp for men. You know well how much of a shock that can be to a man. In some ways, it was a more positive experience for me. Through his time there, I met your cadre members, SFCs Denise and Linda, who remain true friends. They had had Jackson in their unit at the camp. When they came to live with me after they had been assigned to the center in our city, they wanted little to do with him, and he was quite fearful of their presence."

"That must have posed a real challenge to you," Kate observed.

"It did," Eleanor answered, "but I was promoted at Goose Cookers, moved to the capital, and was reunited with and married to Annette, to whom I had been engaged for some time but never was able to live with until then. This drew me away from Jackson, so eventually we separated and divorced. I was totally blown away and pleased when he and my sister Meredith hit it off and now, they are married and live in the apartment I own in the city where we're headed."

"So that's where you can stay when you come here?" Kate asked.

"Yes, they like having me, because I do give them advice which has helped them," Eleanor confided. "They are both a bit naïve, which may be why they get on so well as marriage partners. Jackson now doesn't ever get intoxicated or behave disrespectfully to Meredith as he did with me at times. Your visiting and working with him helped a lot."

"Thanks, I was glad I could help. Did he forgive you for sending him to our camp?" Kate wondered.

"I think he did, because he knew he had behaved badly," Eleanor replied. "I did later have to send him to the re-education center for a quick dose of retraining. As you know better than I do, they put some of that fear of powerful women in him and I think Meredith has benefited, because she hasn't had much trouble of the kind I had with him."

"Do you know if she disciplines him?" Kate asked, anxious to learn if this could be a model for her.

"Yes, she does, and she employs her marital cane when he acts up. He loves her enough so that he accepts it," Eleanor confessed. "Meredith is better for him than I was, because frankly, Kate, she's not as ambitious as you and I are. I don't know what you know about her, but I did rescue her."

"How did you rescue her?" Kate inquired with wide eyes.

"I'm not insulting her, just telling you the truth," Eleanor went on, "but my sister was a whore. She was turning tricks to survive and when she came to me, she was destitute, filthy, and in poor health. I took her in, got her cleaned up and dealt with her health issues. Then we found her a decent job and she met Jackson, who was then still my husband, but living apart from me in the second city to where we're heading."

"Did you have to discipline her?" Kate asked, wondering to herself if this was slightly relevant to her situation, although her partners had not prostituted themselves, insofar as she knew, anyway.

"Yes, she appreciated what I was doing, but when she became obstreperous," Eleanor said clearly, "I did have to pull her panties down and use my cane on her bare bottom. I hated to do it because she had been mistreated when she was a prostitute, and I didn't want to be just the latest one to abuse her. I don't think I did, and perhaps more importantly, I don't think she does, either."

"That's so impressive, Eleanor," Kate exuded, "you did such a good thing."

"Thanks, dear," Eleanor answered. "I like to think I helped her when she needed it, I was afraid that perhaps she couldn't be helped--either she was too diseased or too unwilling to change. But neither was the case and now she is doing very well."