Cruelty, a twilight fanfic

Author's Note I: Ok, so this is not a Martha story, but I was inspired to write this after I watched Eclipse for the second time in two days….it is an awesome movie. If you haven't seen it, make sure you do. It is the best one yet.

Author's Note II: I am in the midst of working on my first full-length story, this is something to tide you all over while I work.

Cruelty

(Bella's POV)

It was about a week after the battle with Victoria's newborn army, and I was spending time alone with Edward. Well, not really alone. His family was home, they were just all downstairs while Edward and I were in his room. We were sitting on the enormous bed. Edward was leaning against the headboard, and I was leaning against his chest. I looked up at him, planning on confronting him about Jake today, only to find him looking down at me expectantly.

"What?" I asked

"I had asked what you were thinking."

"How did you know I was thinking about something?"

Edward smiled at me, "You were concentrating pretty hard….so, penny for your thoughts?"

I smiled, and teased him. "A penny? That is all the thoughts you can't obtain freely are worth to you?"

Edward kissed me. "Your thoughts are a part of you, Bella….that alone makes them priceless." he kissed me again, "Are you going to tell me what you are thinking of, or not?"

"I was thinking about Jacob"

Edward took an unneeded breath "Carlisle says he is recovering well, but even with his accelerated healing, it will take time for him to fully heal"

"I know…that's not what I am thinking about"

"Are you thinking about his kiss?"

I shook my head, "I was thinking about when he heard about the engagement." Since the topic had been brought up, I was going to run with it. I turned to look at Edward, glaring at him a little

Edward looked confused by the glare, "What is it?"

"You knew Jacob was listening when you talked about me accepting your offer." I said quietly, my tone got more fierce as I continued "You also knew I didn't want to tell him before he went down to the battle."

"He deserved to know"

"And I was going to tell him!" I said, getting louder with each word. "I was going to tell him when he wasn't about to jump into something dangerous! If I hadn't kissed him, he would have tried to get hurt or killed!"

"What's going on?"

Edward and I turned to see Carlisle standing in the doorway of Edward's room.

"Nothing, Carlisle" Edward said

"From the way Bella was raising her voice, it didn't sound like nothing"

"I had been planning on telling Jacob I was marrying Edward after the battle, so that he wouldn't be going into battle with an unclear head….and then Edward talked about it when he knew Jacob was listening."

Carlisle looked at Edward, "Is this true, son?"

I saw Edward focus on Carlisle for a minute, before sighing, and nodding his head. "Yes, I knew Jacob was listening, and I knew Bella wanted to wait until after the battle."

Carlisle studied Edward for a minute, and then nodded, almost to himself. "Edward, I will see you in my office. Now"

"Carlisle-" Edward started

"Now, son. Please"

Edward sighed, and nodded, "I'll be back in a few minutes Bella."

I nodded, slightly confused by the exchange between Carlisle and Edward. I sat up so Edward could slide out from behind me, and watched as he followed Carlisle to his office.

(Edward's POV)

Carlisle motioned for me to lead him into his office. He was blocking his thoughts from me, which worried me. The only times he blocked his thoughts from me was when he was about to…no, he couldn't possibly be thinking of….I was too old!

I thought back to the last time Carlisle blocked his thoughts from me, not that it was too hard to think back…it had been a few months ago, when we returned from Volterra…he hadn't thought I was too old then. I gulped.

My father was about to spank me.

"Carlisle-" I started, hoping to dissuade him. He cut me off

"Edward, I know you have figured out what was about to happen, and I don't want to hear your arguments against it. You know you've earned a spanking."

"I don't think I have." I said pleadingly, "Jacob had a right to know that Bella and I were engaged. I would want to know if she had chosen him."

"Would you have wanted to know right before the battle began?"

I hesitated for a minute, but then shook my head. "No."

"Did Bella tell you she didn't want Jacob to know about the engagement before the battle?"

"Yes sir"

"Did she tell you why?"

"She wanted him thinking clearly for the battle. She was afraid he would not be able to focus, and he would be hurt, or killed."

"With that reasoning, was it a reasonable request?"

I looked down. I hated when Carlisle did this. He made us see that we deserved a spanking, all without raising his voice. There wasn't even a hint of anger in his thoughts or voice - just disappointment. I knew all of us "children" wished he would just yell at us when he got mad. We could fight back if he yelled…we can't fight back when he is disappointed.

"Edward?" Carlisle asked

"Yes sir, it was a reasonable request" I answered.

"Then why did you go against her request?" Carlisle asked

"I told you, I thought he deserved to know and I would want to-"

"Edward" Carlisle cut me off abruptly. I stopped mid-sentence.

"We have already determined that even you wouldn't want to find out Bella was engaged to Jacob before the battle."

I stood where I was, not sure what to say now.

"You and Jacob Black have taken this rivalry between the wolves and our family to new heights over Bella. While doing so, you have both been hurting Bella. She never wanted either of you to fight over her, did she?"

"No, she didn't" I said. "She wanted us to work at becoming friends"

"Did either of you even try to get along?"

"We got along pretty well at the campsite until…" I trailed off, getting angry as I thought about that mutt being in Bella's sleeping bag with her.

"Until?" Carlisle prodded.

"Bella was freezing in the middle of the blizzard. Jacob came in and made a good argument with how he could warm Bella up. He slipped into her sleeping bag and wrapped his arms around her…and then the thoughts going through his head…." I was growling now, my fists clenched.

"I see." Carlisle said. "So this goes back to who gets Bella…Jacob had temporarily - for the lack of a better word, I'll say won. He was close to Bella while you were having to keep your distance for her sake."

"He hadn't won" I growled.

"No, you had, because you were the one she was going to marry, is that it?" Carlisle asked.

I nodded, and then Carlisle's thoughts became audible to me. I flinched. I had said the wrong thing.

"Edward, Bella is a human being. She is not some prize to be won or lost in a battle between you and Jacob Black."

I didn't say anything. I was too ashamed of how I had acted. Carlisle had raised all of us to have respect for humans, and by treating Bella like a prize to win, I had done just the opposite.

When Carlisle saw I was not going to answer, he continued. "Jacob had been smug about how he got to be close to Bella and you had to just sit back and watch. You wanted to show him he was wrong. You wanted to show him he had already lost…what better way to do that then to be the one to tell him about the engagement?"

I wanted to argue with Carlisle, but I couldn't. He was right. I had wanted to take the smugness out of Jacob's thoughts.

Carlisle saw I wasn't going to argue with him. "What you did to Jacob was cruel, Edward. And by treating Bella like a prize, both you and Jacob have been disrespectful of her. If there are two things I won't tolerate from my family, it is disrespect and cruelty. I thought I had raised you better."

"You had, Carlisle. I'm sorry."

Carlisle nodded, "Do you still wish to tell me your don't deserve a spanking?"

I shook my head.

Carlisle walked over to the leather sofa in his study and sat down. "Over here, please, Edward."

I slowly walked over to Carlisle, like a man walking to his execution.

"Jeans down, son" Carlisle said.

I did as he requested, and then Carlisle led me over his lap. He didn't hold me in suspense about the spanking for long. No sooner had I settled down than his hand was raised in the air and then came crashing down on my boxers.

SWAT!

I jumped a little at the impact, but didn't make a noise.

SWAT! SWAT! SWAT!

"Ow" I complained softly.

"Why are you getting this spanking, Edward?" SWAT! SWAT!

"Ow!" I cried out, "Because I was disrespectful to Bella, treating her like a prize to be won."

"Why else?" SWAT! SWAT!

"Because I didn't respect Bella's wishes by telling Jacob about the engagement."

"And why is that wrong?" SWAT! SWAT!

"Ow! It was rude. I'm sorry Carlisle!"

"Edward, you know the word I am looking for, and it is not rude….why was it wrong to disrespect Bella's wishes?" SWAT! SWAT!

"OW!" I yelled, and began squirming around over Carlisle's lap

"Edward, this won't end until you answer me. Why were you in the wrong?" SWAT! SWAT! SWAT! SWAT!

Damn it! The swats were getting harder, and were falling faster

"OW! Because I did it to be cruel to Jacob!" I cried out. I just wanted the punishment to end.

Carlisle's swats stopped, and I sighed with relief at it being over. Then I froze as I felt his hand grasp the waistband of my boxers.

"Carllisle…" I whined

"Edward, I told you, I will not tolerate disrespect or cruelty. I plan to make it where I don't have to repeat this lesson ever again. Now lift up your hips so we can finish this."

I groaned, but knew it would only be worse if I refused. Carlisle tugged the boxers down to my knees, and the spanking resumed

SWAT! SWAT! SWAT! SWAT! SWAT!

"Ow!" I yelled. It was a lot worse on a bare bottom.

SWAT! SWAT! SWAT! SWAT! SWAT!

"Carlisle! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Just please stop! I won't ever do it again!"

"Almost done, Edward

SWAT! SWAT! SWAT! SWAT! SWAT!

It was all I could do to not bite Carlisle to attempt to distract him enough to make a run for it. But as I thought about it, I knew that wouldn't work. Even if I got away, I would have to come back. I had tried to leave Carlisle before…I didn't want to be away from him…if I ran, my punishment would just be worse when I returned.

I felt Carlisle shift my position, making my lower bottom and sit-spots easier to access. I groaned, and clenched my teeth for the final part of my spanking.

SWAT! SWAT! SWAT! SWAT! SWAT!

I broke down into tearless sobs, mumbling "I'm sorry" repeatedly, to the point where I was sure I was incoherent. It took me a minute to realize Carlisle had stopped, and was rubbing my back soothingly.

"I'm sorry dad" I said as I tried to get myself under control.

"I know you are son" Carlisle said. "I trust there won't be a need to repeat this lesson"

I shook my head. "No dad. I've got it."

"And you'll apologize to Bella for going against her wishes?"

I nodded my head.

"And you'll apologize to Jacob for being so cruel?"

"Yes dad" I said.

"Alright" Carlisle said. "You can get up whenever you are ready."

I stayed across Carlisle's lap for another few minutes before pushing myself up. I pulled up my boxers and jeans, hissing as the fabric rubbed over my sore posterior. I turned around and hugged Carlisle.

"I am sorry for disappointing you by being so cruel and disrespectful. You raised me better than that."

"It's alright Edward. I forgive you." Carlisle said, rubbing my back as he hugged me. After I minute or two, I pulled away.

"Go back to Bella now, son"

I nodded, and returned to my room.

As I walked in to my bedroom, Bella looked at me, confused.

"Edward….while you were in Carlisle's office, it sounded like…"

"Like what, Bella?"

Bella blushed, "Well like….like you were getting…."

I smiled a little, "Like I was getting spanked?"

Bella's blush deepened as she nodded.

"Carlisle is old fashioned" I said, "And he has a few old fashioned forms of discipline that are quite effective."

"So…he did…um, spank you?" Bella asked

I nodded a little. I was sure both my backside and my face would be bright red if I was human.

"But…why?"

"I was disrespectful to you…both by treating you like a prize to win from Jacob, and by not respecting your wish to hold off on telling Jacob about us, and for being cruel to Jacob by telling him when I knew it would cloud his judgment."

Bella looked at me, wide-eyed "You got spanked because of me? Edward, I am so sorry. I will go to Carlisle and tell him it wasn't fair-"

I held her tightly, reassuringly. "No, my Bella. I got spanked because of me. It was my choice to engage in the competition over you with Jacob. It was my choice to tell Jacob after you asked me not to. And it was my choice to do so despite knowing deep down it was cruel of me. Carlisle would never spank me because of anyone but me. And it was fair. I deserved everything I got. Carlisle would not have spanked me if he didn't think it was fair."

Bella nodded, and was quiet for a moment. I led her over to the bed and sat down again, wincing as my weight landed on my still smarting rear. I pulled Bella close to me and inhaled her beautiful scent. It was an amazingly effective pain reliever.

"Edward?" Bella asked

"Yes?"

"When I join the family and become a vampire…will he….that is, will Carlisle spank me?"

I kissed her softly, "I doubt it. I can't see you doing anything to warrant a spanking. However, if you do get out of line then, yes, there is a possibility that Carlisle will spank you." I could sense she was scared of that idea, "But it is only if you earn it, and he will always hear out your side of the story…and it's just as likely he'll let you off with a stern lecture or a grounding."

"It sounded like it hurt"

I sighed, "I won't lie to you, Bella. It does hurt. But you know Carlisle does it out of love, and vampires heal very quickly, thankfully. But if you wish to avoid a chance of a spanking, you'll just have to behave yourself"

Bella nodded, "And eternity of being perfect"

I turned Bella's head towards me "That won't be hard for you, Bella, you are already perfect" I told her, and then kissed her deeply. She eagerly returned my kiss.

Author's Note III: I hope you all enjoyed this! Now review!