"Oh, honey." Carlisle sat down on the floor beside his wife and drew her into his arms. Burying her face against his chest, Esme quickly saturated his shirt with tears as he cooed to her gently. "Darling, it's alright. You did nothing wrong. You merely delivered a well deserved punishment. Jasper will be just fine. You'll see. I heard what transpired, and while it was a little shocking, it didn't sound like our soldier was unduly distressed."

"I humiliated him. I bared his tail and whipped him with ..." Esme bowed her head further as pain-filled sobs stole her voice. Drawing a stuttering breath, she clung tightly to her mate and whimpered a barely audible, "He must hate me."

"Jasper could never hate you," he assured. "All of the children adore you. Nothing could ever change that. Besides, we are discussing Major Whitlock here. He has an extremely well defined moral compass, a stóirín. He knew that his actions were wrong, and he knew that punishment was sure to follow his transgression. In the end, you have done him a great service by ensuring the stability of his world. The sooner punishment is dealt, the sooner he can relieve his guilty conscience and move on."

"Punishment, yes, but not abuse. I abused him, Carlisle. What I did was vengeful. I took revenge to satisfy my hurt pride and nothing more. I'm no better than Charles."

A strong hand grasped Esme's chin firmly and lifted her head until she found herself staring into her husband's stern face.

"Esme Anne Cullen, if I ever hear you compare yourself to that fiend again I will wash that filth out of your mouth the same as I would with any of the children. You are nothing like that man, and I won't allow you to believe for one second that you are. You, young lady, are the most caring person that I have ever met. I couldn't have a better mate and our children are blessed to call such a loving woman their mother."

"I wasn't loving towards Jasper just now. I didn't show our son very much compassion in there." She pulled away from Carlisle and nodded towards the closed door. "I didn't even give him a chance to explain. I think he was coming to talk to us when I caught him on the stairs. As you said, our son is made of strong moral fiber. I think he was coming down to admit to his deception, but I hauled him back to his room and sentenced him before he could clear his conscience, or hope to earn forgiveness and understanding from me.

Understanding, Carlisle. I should have been more understanding. I know intimately how our boy feels. I know what it means to be forced to submit to a harsh, unrelenting hand with no hope of reprieve. It's frightening. There is truly no hope. If you're not even given a chance to explain yourself, you can't hope to learn why your decision was wrong or how to fix it. All you learn is to fear and resent the person who has power over you."

Carlisle released a held breath and cleared his throat. "I have experience in that as well, love, and I know that this isn't how Jasper sees you."

"Maybe he didn't, but how can he fail to notice the signs now? Jazz will never be able to trust me again, and I can't say that I blame him. I don't know that I can trust myself with him — with any of the children. Who knows which one will become my next victim."

"Nonsense. Of course he will still put his trust in you. He loves you. Jasper knows that you would only ever act in his best interest. He's not going to stop loving you, and as for the trust factor ... Esme, what did I just tell you? You provide a sense of safety, structure, and stability in what has long been a very turbulent world for that lad. He understands that part of keeping him safe to setting rules and limitations. Like any youth, he is going to test those boundaries once in a while to make sure that you are serious, and to make sure that he and Alice are safe. He has just learned that when he pushes you, you will push back. That is not an act of cruelty. It's a means of keeping him out of danger. He now knows, without a doubt, that you will continue to look out for him, even when doing so brings you great emotional pain." The patriarch captured his mate's hand and rubbed the back gently with his thumb. "If you have made some sort of blunder, it won't be an unforgivable sin in the eyes of our son. Don't sell that boy short. His heart if huge, and there is very little that he couldn't readily forgive. Go talk to him and clear the air. You'll both feel better for it."

"I can't, Carlisle. He doesn't need to hear my babbling. He's suffered enough for one day."

The doctor puffed a breath out in a soft sigh before pushing himself up from the floor to help his wife to her feet.

"I believe you will be surprised by what Jasper wants and needs."

"He wants Alice."

"True, but I imagine his mother's comforting will suit until his mate can be back at his side."

Closing her eyes, Esme silently shook her head.

"God, but you can be a stubborn woman; do you know that? How is it that I put up with you?" Carlisle groused, but a teasing smile tugged at his lips. "Off with you, young lady. Go wait in the study until I call for you. I'm going to have a chat with our boy to find out, once and for all, where he stands."

"Don't fuss at him."

"That was not my intention, Esme. I want to check on him, and if he's up to it, maybe he can help me get you to see reason."

"Carlisle..."

"Nuh-uh." He placed a finger against her lips to quiet her. "If there is a problem, he can express that as well. You and I can stand here and speculate all day, but that will never fix anything. Should Jasper have a grievance with the way his misbehavior was handled, learning of it will be the first step correcting the issue and getting this home back in order."

Leaning in, he gave her a light kiss on the cheek before reaching around to deliver a sharp slap to her rear.

Confusion colored Esme's expression and momentarily chased the sadness away.

"If you have broken that boy, you can expect to experience some trouble when it comes to sitting, little miss," he whispered against her ear. "I won't have a guilty conscience consuming you."

Drawing himself up to his full imposing height, Carlisle folded his arms over his chest and gave a nod towards the study.

"Off with you, young lady. I shouldn't have to repeat myself. I'll retrieve you when I'm ready."

Esme made a sound of protest, but the raised brow that had derailed many arguments from his children claimed another victory. Lowering her head, the matriarch scurried off to her mate's office and disappeared inside.

Standing alone in the hallway, the doctor sighed as he shook his head. There would be only one young lady taking that trip over his knee today, and that wouldn't be until much later this evening. Still, the idea of being held accountable for any misdeed she may have committed seemed to ease Esme's mind while also providing a distraction by giving her something new to worry about.

"Guilt beats us bloody and turns us into our own worst enemy."

"Voice of experience?"

Carlisle turned to find Jasper leaning, shirtless and barefooted, against the door frame to his room.

"Quite. I think we have all become too well acquainted with the inner workings of that emotion. And what, pray tell, are you doing out of bed?"

"The order was to just stay in my room. Being under the covers was optional."

"I see." Carlisle twirled his finger around, effectively sending the soldier back into his bedroom. Following on the lad's heels, the elder closed the door and procured the desk chair. Placing it next to the bed and turning it around to straddle it, he leaned on the backrest while motioning for his son to take a seat on the bed.

"How are you feeling?"

"I don't hate her at all. I never could."

"That wasn't my question," the elder quietly replied.

"I'm okay. Wouldn't want to be sitting at a school desk or at the kitchen table, but I do alright on the mattress. It still hurts, don't get me wrong, but it's not terrible."

"Good. I'm glad to hear it."

"I thought you would have wanted me to stay sore longer. I mean, after what I did and all."

"And what did you do, Jasper?"

The southerner lowered his gaze and slowed his breathing before reaching for Alice's pillow. Hugged it protectively, he inhaled the honey floral scent of his wife to help steady his nerves.

"You know what I did," he mumbled softly.

"I would still like to hear it from you."

Looking back up, he met his father's eyes and found the man's expression remarkably neutral. Carlisle exhibited no anger or judgment. Jasper thought that the leader would be furious with his manipulation of his mate, but the physician appeared as calm as ever. Reaching out with his gift to test the waters, the boy was further amazed to find his father's emotional defenses down. He was being granted full access to Carlisle's feelings. There was some disappointment and a touch of sadness, but mostly there was a calm acceptance and curiosity.

Heaving a sigh, Jasper swallowed hard and stared down at the cheerful pattern on the pillowcase that suddenly seems so completely out of place.

"I screwed with Esme's head to make her feel sorry for me."

"Why would you do something like that? It isn't like you to avoid the consequences of your actions. Usually, your reaction to such things is the complete opposite."

"I... I don't know."

Sitting up slightly, Carlisle planted an elbow more firmly on the back of the chair and rested his chin in his upraised palm, cupping his cheek lightly while he studied the youth.

"That's not an answer, son. Why don't you try again?"

Jasper raised his head to face his father, but immediately looked away from the elder's piercing topaz eyes.

"I was being stupid."

"I would never make the mistake of underestimating your intelligence, Jasper. You had a reason. There are always reasons for the things that you do."

"But that is the reason. My bike was destroyed by the idiot at school. I felt that was punishment enough. I didn't think I deserved to be punished any further, so I played on Momma's sympathy. Sometimes it really is that simple, Papa."

Dropping the hand that supported his head, Carlisle scooted a bit forward and reached out to turn Jasper's head to face him. Only after having the youth's full attention, did he finally speak.

"Let's go over the events of the day again, shall we? You participated in a brawl at school, where you ended up punching a teacher. You then proceeded to exhibit a most disrespectful attitude with your principal and your mother. Even though you were given several chances to correct your behavior on your own, you continued with that abysmal display to the point that Esme felt it was prudent to take corrective measures. Instead of showing her the respect that she was due, you chose to run away from her and school..."

"I did come home on my own, and brought a bar of soap with me," the Major pointed out.

"Yes. Yes, you did, and that is a point in your favor, son, but it isn't enough to counterbalance the weight of the strikes against you."

"I didn't think that it would. I was just saying..." Jasper averted his eyes and fell silent.

Carlisle stared at the boy for a moment to make sure that he was finished with his weak defense before continuing.

"You have now been suspended, and can't return to school until you've had a session or two with an anger management therapist. AND, all of this started because you decided to ride your bike to school, even though you knew that your mother and I had strictly forbidden you to do so."

Carlisle knew it was impossible, but his soldier appeared to pale further before his eyes.

"Now tell me again that you believe the damage done to your bike, damage that Rosalie is hard at work repairing, was sufficient punishment for your extensive list of crimes."

Jasper scrubbed both hands over his face, then dropped them into his lap before looking Carlisle in the eye.

"I can't."

"But that is your excuse for manipulating your mother."

"It was a moment of weakness. I saw the opportunity, and took it." He nervously carded his hands through his wheaten locks to still their shaking. "I regret doing it. I really do. I won't do anything like this ever again. It's bothered me from the moment that it happened. A couple of times I tried to tell Momma; I tried to find a way to explain myself, but something always sidetracked my attempts. Even if Esme's hadn't toasted my butt, I wouldn't have given into this temptation again. It's made me nearly as miserable as it's made her."

Placing an elbow on either knee, Jasper entwined his fingers and leaned his forehead against his hands.

"I don't know why she thinks that I wouldn't trust her. I'm the one who can't be trusted anymore. I don't even know what I did to make her believe that she had made some sort of mistake, but if I knew I would take it back, Papa. You have to believe me."

"I do, son." Carlisle reached out and stroked the hair at Jasper's temple, causing the boy to glance up. "I think this has been too much for your mother to endure. Esme can be fierce when the need arises, but punishing you puts a great strain on her. She fears pushing you away. She wants to create a loving environment where you will feel comfortable and welcomed. Seeing you suffer hurts her; causing that suffering is nearly crippling to your mother."

"But I deserved it. I deserved to be punished for what happened at school, and then I put myself back in trouble by messing with her. She wasn't the one screwing up. That was all me."

"I know that, but Esme doesn't, and she won't listen to me. She really needs to hear that validation from you, Jasper. At this moment, she feels that she has wronged you something terrible. You are the only person who can tell her otherwise."

With a huff, Jasper shifted his focus to his bare feet.

"Honesty, she did hurt me a little. She made me feel weak. Maybe I let that slip a little before she escaped the room. I wasn't trying to project that on her, but it could have happened."

"Why did you feel weak?"

"Because..." The Major clenched his teeth as he was rocked by the disappointment he felt with himself. "Because she didn't coddle me, and I wanted her to. I needed her comfort, but she turned away. I know she wasn't withholding it, not on purpose anyway, but I still don't feel like she has forgiven me. When she walked out of the door..."

"Tell her."

"No." He shook his head emphatically. "What good would that do? She would only end up feel worse, and I don't want that."

"I appreciate that you want to spare your mother's feelings, but telling her what you need can only benefit both of you in the future."

"She has already done so much for me. She's helped and protected me more than even she knows; not that I have deserved one ounce of it. I just can't burden her more with my needy whining."

"She worries about babbling and you fret over whining. What a pair the two of you make." The doctor rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, Jasper. Just be honest with her. She needs to know these things so she can feel more confident in herself and her parenting skills. Honesty is never a wrong choice, son."

"Um.. About honesty and that whole guilt thing you started off with..."

"What about it?"

"There's something that you and Momma need to know about last night."

The slight waver in Jasper's voice concerned Carlisle greatly.

"Alright, Jazz, but let me go get Esme first so you only have to go through whatever this is once."

"Yes, sir." The soldier nodded as he watched his father untangle himself from the chair.

"I'll be right back, Major." The strain and nervousness was clear in his boy's features. Softly patting Jasper's shoulder, Carlisle smiled gently. "It's okay, Jazz. Whatever it is, we will face it together, and you'll see that it will turn out fine."

Jasper sighed heavily. "I hope so."

"I know so. Try to calm yourself. Nothing can be as bad as all of that."

Watching Carlisle vanish from the room, Jasper shook his head before lowering it into his hands. "Oh it is worse than you could imagine," he whispered to himself.

Standing with a pained groan, the southerner stalked towards the window. Opening it, he allowed the cool scented air to waft over him as the warm sunlight lit the room. Glancing down at his hands resting on the sill, his mind replayed images from the night before. Visions of him jumping from this same window, the less than satisfying kill, and the hunt for his primary prey.

He had no real regrets over what had transpired. It wasn't as if he had followed through with killing DeYoung. The only casualty to come out of last night's events had been the blowhard's piece of shit truck, and the soldier felt certain an insurance claim would set that to right in short order. No, it haven't been that bad. It could have been much worse, but he doubted that Carlisle and Esme would see it that way.

The dull burn in his hindquarters from his earlier whipping served as a reminder of what disclosing the truth stood to gain him. Jasper had no doubt that Carlisle would do his best to instill a sense of regret. That exact same lesson awaited his sweet Alice, but just maybe he could force his father to vent the majority of his frustration on his hide before his pixieish mate met her fate. It wasn't much, but it was the best that he could do to protect his wife after all she had done trying to protect his good name.

He suddenly wondered what Alice was doing. She had to be having a better day than he was. Automatically, he dug into the pocket of his sweatpants for his phone to check the time. Maybe if he could figure out what class she was in, he would be able to visualize her there and keep himself on track. Alice always did help him focus.

Damn. Not there. Well shit, I forgot to look for the damn thing. When did it go missing in the first place?

Flashing to his dresser, Jasper quickly searched all the usual spots the electronic wonder called home. Nothing.

He vaguely took notice of the doorbell ringing, but had more pressing matters to attend to. What if Alice had messaged him? What if she needed him? What would she think if she couldn't get in touch with him? Would she believe he was ignoring her?

Jasper ran a hand though his hair to brush it out of of his face. He promised Alice that he would keep his phone on him all the time. It was always in his pocket or on the dresser when they were home together. This could not be happening. Maybe it had fallen behind the heavy piece of furniture.

"Jasper! Would you please come down here for a minute?"

"I'm a little busy, Papa. Could you give me just a few?"

"Now, Jasper Monroe."

What in the hell could be so damn important, and why was Carlisle using his middle name like he was some youngster caught up in some sort of mischief?

Taking the stairs two at a time, Jasper rushed towards the foyer and the sound of low chatter.

"Can you make this fast, Papa? I need to find my..."

Jasper pulled up short. He caught the scent before he noticed Charlie Swan standing next to his parents in the doorway, a confederate flag design encased cell phone in his hand.

"Is this what you were looking for?" the Chief of Police casually asked as he flipped the rectangular object between his fingers.

"Um..."

"By Chris DeYoung's account, this showed up in the oddest of places. Claims that he found it at the base of a tree on his property near his son's truck. It looks like last night's storm caused a really good size branch to break free and fall on his boy's truck. In battles between trees and trucks, the tree always wins." Charlie shook his head while continuing to hold Jasper's shocked gaze. "That truck has seen better days. Going to be out of commission for at least a month while they piece it back together. Pity really. You wouldn't happen to know anything about this would you, son?"

"I... Um... Well, Chief Swan..."

Charlie shook his head again and Jasper returned to the safety of silence.

"Chris is thinking it was an act of vandalism, which is how I ended up involved, but here's what I think. I was informed about the ruckus between you and young Brad in the school yard. I think that at some point last night you felt the need to blow off some steam. Maybe you did go out there with the intention of vandalizing that kid's truck, maybe not." The Chief shrugged as he glanced at Carlisle before turning his attention back on the juvenile Cullen. "Thing is, once you got there you found that an act of God had beaten you to the punch. You might have taken your phone out to snap a couple of shots to show off to your buddies, but got startled and dropped it when Chris and his boy went out to investigate the damage. Probably dropped out of your pocket when you hightailed it out of there so you couldn't get caught and accused of something that wasn't your doing."

The officer finished his summation and studied the nervous youth closely.

"Have I come close to the truth of the matter?"

Jasper stared blankly at Charlie as his mind raced while a cold feeling of dread filled him. Once again his crime was discovered moments before he was able to confess to it on his own. Lady Luck had taken a holiday and left her favorite soldier to get hung out to dry.

"Jasper?"

At the sound of his name, the southerner snapped his attention to his coven leader. Carlisle's calm facade gave no clue to what he was thinking, which worried the boy more.

"Chief Swan has asked you a question, son. I believe that we would all like to hear an answer."

"Um. Yesh, sah. That's mighty close ta the truth."

Charlie nodded while passing Jasper's phone to Carlisle for safe keeping.

"Since it was clear that the branch broke instead of having been sawed through, I'm going to write that off as an act of nature, but Chris could still press charges for trespassing," the chief informed Carlisle. "I really doubt that he will, but you should be prepared for the possibility. It's a simple misdemeanor that carries a small fine. I'm sure that won't be much of an issue. Might even be able to get it commuted to a few hours of community service. There's always some sort of grunt work that needs to get done, and we're happy to have a young able body to put to work."

"I think community service is an excellent idea. I may sign Jasper up for some volunteer time regardless. I find it to be very character building. It seems that I'm in your debt once again, Charlie."

"You are in nothing of the sort, Doc. I'm happy to be able to help out. It isn't often that someone with a brood as large as yours has such a good handle on them. They're a great group of kids, but even the best can get themselves into mischief once in a while. It's all a part of growing up; testing boundaries and all that BS, but even a blind man can see the respect they have for you. That's not so easy to come by, so you and your missus must be raising them right." Charlie shook Carlisle's hand, then turned to Jasper. "But just the same, you make sure to steer clear of that DeYoung property, you hear? You don't need to make your parents turn gray before their time with this foolishness. You got lucky with this one, kiddo. Don't press it."

"No, sah. I won't, and I won't be goin' out there again. That's guaranteed."

Charlie stared at the boy with a serious, hard expression before a grin broke through.

"You've got yourself a really good kid here, Carlisle. He's just lost his way, and needs a little help getting back on track."

"We'll set his feet on the right path so enough."

"I'm sure you will."

Jasper stood frozen in the foyer as Carlisle showed Charlie out and watch as the police unit pulled away. The Major would have happily accompanied the officer and spent the night in jail, if it would save him from having to face his father.

Esme's touch on his forearm broke the soldier's trance-like state. When he looked down at her, there were tears in her eyes. Here she had been worried that he wouldn't trust her when in the end he had been the one to break her trust.

"Jasper, I had forbade you from going anywhere near that boy."

"Yesh, ma'am. Ya did."

"You disobeyed, and then had the nerve to lied to me."

Jasper swallowed hard as he bowed his head.

"I did go on a hunt, but then... I'm sorry. I don't expect you to be able to forgive me, but I truly am sorry that I've ended up hurting you like this."

Carlisle cleared his throat, but his son kept his head lowered.

"It wasn't the wind that caused that damage, was it?"

"No, sah."

"Is this what you wanted to discuss with your mother and I?"

"Yesh, sah," the youth replied in a soft, nearly whimpered tone.

"My boy, you seem to be having some serious issue with your timing lately."

Jasper nodded while he fidgeted with loose thread in the pocket of the sweatpants that he fully expected to have whisked down at any moment.

"Go back to your room, Jasper," Carlisle commanded softly with a nod towards the stairs. "Your mother and I need to discuss a few things. We'll join you shortly."

"Yesh, sah."

In a streak, the soldier darted up the stairs and quickly concealed himself behind the relative safety of his bedroom door.

At the sound of the door closing, Carlisle leaned his back against the wall and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose hard.

"Unbelievable, Esme. Completely unbelievable."

"This must stem from the incident with Alice. Before the others returned from school with that news, Jasper had calmed down considerably. When he first promised to stay away from the human boy, I believe he really meant it, but then the situation changed."

"A change in situation doesn't give him the right to sneak out of the house and vandalize property."

"I completely agree. I also don't like the fact that he lied to me when he was caught returning from the scene of his crime. Still, I can understand his motives."

Allowing his hand to fall away, the patriarch looked at his mate and sighed.

"I understand them as well, but this cannot be allowed to continue. Jasper knows...No. Jasper is better than this. I expect more from him."

"Maybe we expect too much sometimes. You've always say that, on a biological level, they are all still basically teens. The fact that they control themselves as well as they do is already a remarkable feat."

"They will always be subjected to the peaks and valleys associated with teenage emotions, but life experience teaches them how to work around that, and Jasper has had more experience than the rest."

"For the majority of that experience his temper didn't require controlling; far from it, Carlisle. Pain and death were his constant bedfellows. His life favored brutality over mercy. It was all that he knew before he and Alice found each other. Then she brought him to us, and he had to learn a whole new way of living. We gave him an entirely new set of rules to follow. His diet was altered, and he was told that he had to play nice with what he had long since considered food. He was no longer allowed to lash out at those who wronged him or his mate. These were major changes that we forced upon him.

Comparatively, he has not lived by our rules for very long, so it is natural for him to fall back on old habits when he is hurting or confused. Deep down our decorated, war-hardened soldier is still a young boy who wants little more than the love, support, and acceptance of his family."

Carlisle folded his arms and closed his eyes as he rested his head against the wall while carefully considering his wife's argument. Drawing a slow, deep breath, he gave the faintest of nods.

"But, as true as all of that is, there must be consequences for his poor behavior. I would punish Edward or Emmett if they acted as foolishly. It would be unfair to the other children if I allow Jasper to get away with an act of such blatant disobedience, while knowing full well that they would be held accountable in the same situation."

"He has already been punished, and in a round about way, he will be punished further when you take Alice in hand this evening. She is in trouble because she stood against that boy when he insulted Jasper. You can't tell me that our soldier isn't shouldering at least part of the blame for his wife's predicament."

Carlisle's eyes flew open as he gazed at his mate with a mixture of amazement and love.

"That's it, Esme. You have hit on the perfect solution that will finally get our little rough and tumble Cullens back in the fold. I won't even have to be very harsh with either one of them to make my point."

"Carlisle, what in the world are you talking about?"

"This evening I want you to take Edward, Rose and Em out for a hunt while I deal with our two miscreants. I rarely punish our rule breakers in the same room, at the same time. The few times that this has happened were due to the ones involved being cohorts in their misadventures. Jasper and Alice have committed different transgressions, but the cause and target of their transgressions were the same. I'm going to bring them to the study and deal with them as a single unit. I've never punished a pair before, and I never thought that I would have to, but this seems to be the most straightforward method to putting an end to this once and for all."

Esme raised a hand to her lips to stifle a gasp.

"Carlisle, you can't do that. Jasper can barely stay in the house whenever Alice has been unfortunate enough to require a discussion about her behavior, even when that discussion doesn't result in punishment. It would be impossible for him to control himself if he is forced to be in the same room while you spank her."

"Not impossible, honey; merely difficult. Jasper may surprise us all, himself included, with the fortitude of his inner strength. Naturally, I will have to keep him on a short chain, but he can do this. Learning first hand how their behavior effects one another, as well as those around them, should finally put an end to this nonsense. I'll be surprised if Jasper doesn't learn a valuable lesson about controlling his temper as well as his behavior. If not for the sake of his own hide, at least for the sake of Alice's."

Esme continued to have her reservations.

"Are you sure that you'll be able to control him by yourself if something goes wrong? Maybe Emmett should stay behind in case you need a hand."

"I can control my son if I must, and Alice will be there to help if need be."

"I think you're forgetting how strong and swift he is. If he decides to fight you..."

"He won't."

"You can't know that for sure, Carlisle Cullen. Jasper may not mean to, but Alice is everything to him. If she's in danger, his instinct will be to protect her at all cost. He won't want to hurt you, but..."

"A chroí, he stopped himself from harming the young man who stuck Alice, and Jasper already disliked him. That proves that he has good self control despite recent events. He also knows that I would never harm Alice. If there were any question about that, they would have been gone long well before now. He won't allow Alice to stay anywhere he feels threatened. That knowledge, and being able to see for himself that she's alright, will get him through this." The elder looked down for a moment with a drawn out sigh before returning his wife's worried gaze. "However, pixie tears will be extremely hard for all of us to bear. Still, we will survive."

"Do something else, Carlisle. Something safer. Ground them for a year."

The doctor gave a snort of laughter as he smiled and shook his head at his wife.

"As if I could keep Alice locked up for a year. Now that, a ghrá, would be cruel and unusual punishment, not to mention what it would do to the economy of this nation. Baby, it's hard enough to contain Alice for a week or two. She would never survive a year under restriction."

"Then some other method of discipline. This is just too risky to undertake."

With the warm smile still on his lips, Carlisle cradled Esme's face between his hands and leaned down to look directly into her darkening amber eyes.

"Everything we do in this life carries risk, but some are well worth taking. If this keeps my children from hurting someone and having to deal with the resulting pain and guilt that follows, it is a risk that I'll gladly take anytime. Trust me, a ghrá mo chroí, and if not me, than trust in Jasper."

On impulse, Carlisle pulled his wife closer and kissed her deeply only to have her melt in his arms. When they parted, he cocked his head and narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

"Speaking of trust, you and Jasper still have a few things of your own to resolve. You didn't break him, but you appear to have missed a key component when it comes to disciplining our children, and that has left him feeling a little out of sorts."

"What did I forget?" She asked in shock.

Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Carlisle led his mate towards the stairs.

"I think that is something Jasper must enlighten you to since you never believe a word I say."

"Carlisle, that's not true."

"Hm. Well it is still time for Jasper to take the lead in your disciplinary education, but..."

Releasing her at the foot of the steps, the elder propelled his mate forward with a sturdy swat to the seat of her pants.

"You're getting off lightly this time, little miss, but don't let me hear that you've made this same mistake a second time or you will pay the price."

"But what did I do?"

"Go talk to Jasper." Carlisle began to walk away when he suddenly turned back. "And don't mention anything about what happened last night. He will expect you to scold him. Don't do that. It won't be healthy for either one of you. Just let him voice his concerns and grievances over what has already been corrected. Let him know that you are there for him, and to learn from him. It will be a good distraction for you both.

Now, scoot, and come find me when you've done. This was meant to be a pleasant day for us. Maybe we can still savage a little alone time from the rubble of this morning. I could do with a hunt before having to deal with Alice, and we know the effect that the great outdoors has on you."

"Carlisle!"

"Esme!" he replied in feigned shocked while a roguish grin curled his lips. "Hurry back. I'll be waiting."

Narrowing her eyes at her grinning love-starved husband, the matriarch tossed her head dismissively before slowly mounting the stairs.

It took little time for the worry to return.

What had she forgotten? What harm had she done to her son through this oversight, and how would she be able to repair the damage? Clearly she was hopeless as a disciplinarian. All she had wanted was to make things a little easier on Jasper and Carlisle. Instead, because of her ineptitude, Jasper had slipped away from her and landed himself into far worse trouble than before. Really, could she do anything right?

She was shocked by how quickly Jasper's door appeared before her while she had been lost in thought. A flutter of nerves made her stomach churn. Would he even want to talk to her now after what had just happened? Should she tell him of Carlisle's plan? Carlisle's foolhardy plan. She didn't like any of this, and wished for a way to make it all go away, though she knew that was a hopeless prayer. The cards had been dealt and there was nothing left to do but play the hand out. For better or worse, it was the only available option.

Holding her breath to rein in her nerves, Esme knocked lightly as she called," Jasper, may I come in?"

AN: Alright, guys. I've had several request for an update to this one. I'm sorry for the errors in it. They will be corrected soon, but my beloved handlers have been a little busy. Real life has a very nasty habit of getting in the way, doesn't it?

I do already have the next chapter written, but I still have to type it up and get it out to my betas, so hang in there just a little while longer.

Love you guys and thanks so much for all the support and interest in this story. Y'all make it worthwhile.