AN: Here's the next chapter, sorry that it's been awhile; I was away over the Easter Break and didn't have my computer with me. Thank you for all of your reviews but a special thank you goes to the following people who reviewed on almost every chapter:
Billy boo80 (and The Return of the Candy Canes and whatever other names you used :) )
Purradox
EBRAJERCECullen 130
Emeraldstarforever
TeamCarlisleandEsme8
Mrs Whitlock Hale xxx
TwiGuy 479
NewTownGirl
Sonata Eternal
Xoitalyszgirlxo
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or Wife Swap
Chapter 11
Esme's POV
Throughout the night I talked to Carlisle on the phone and we agreed to meet up during the next night to hunt and so that I could see my family again. We both hung up at six o'clock in the morning when I could hear alarm clocks in both Ine's and Phillip's rooms. I missed Carlisle and my children so much already and was relieved that I would be seeing them tomorrow. I began to feel guilty as I could hear Ine and Phillip get up and begin to rummage in the kitchen. They shouldn't be the one to make breakfast, they weren't servants after all. As more time passed I began to smell burning eggs from the kitchen. I was a bit worried about how and where I would be able to hide the food but I was sure I would think of something. About ten minutes later I heard footsteps coming towards a door and a knock.
"Come in," I called.
Ine stuck her head in my door.
"Good morning Mrs. Cullen. Breakfast is ready now."
I smiled at her. "Good morning Ine. Please call me Esme. I'll be downstairs in a second, I'll just get changed."
"Okay Esme, I'll see you there." We smiled at each other again than she left and closed the door behind her.
I got dressed at what I imagined was a human pace and brushed through my hair quickly. I left my room and walked downstairs in a pair of jeans and a purple T-Shirt. Ine and Phillip were sitting at the set table, their father hadn't arrived yet. I could see eggs on the stove on the table there was cereal and some milk. The place that I supposed was Joe's had coffee by it.
"That was quick," Phillip said. I would have to remember to take longer to get dressed tomorrow morning. When I didn't reply right away Phillip's face became flushed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound rude or anything," he babbled.
"No don't worry about it. I don't think you're rude at all, don't worry about it," I tried to reassure him. His face told me that he was still worried and I wondered what had gotten these children to be so shy and apologetic. They were pretty much the opposite of mine.
"Thank you. Do you want me to make you coffee?" he asked.
"No thank you. I'm just going to drink some water." I walked over to the cupboard where I assumed that I would find some glasses but Phillip stood up and stepped into my path.
"I'll get it. Why don't you sit down Esme?"
"I can manage getting my own water," I told him. I couldn't believe how polite and helpful these children were.
"Please, sit down." And his face did look pleadingly at me. It also looked like he was afraid of something. Would Joe and Ellen really punish their children for not getting a glass of water? I decided to sit down; I didn't want to get them in trouble after all. Phillip sighed in relief and got me some water and then sat down again. I knew that there would be many things I would change come rule change but I was beginning to wonder if these children would even follow my rules it seemed like they were to obedient and I was sure they had been instructed to ignore any of my changes.
Just then Joe came into the kitchen disrupting my musings.
"Good morning dad," Ine and Phillip chorused.
Joe mumbled a good morning and sat down in his chair. He pretty much ignored me and began wolfing down his food that Ine had put on his plate. I was pushing around my food on my plate and occasionally putting some of it in a napkin I had in my lap when no one was watching me. Joe took a sip of his coffee and spat it back out again.
"This is disgusting, it is cold," he stormed glaring at Ine and Phillip.
"We're s s sorry," Phillip mumbled.
"Clean this up," Joe said pointing to the coffee splatters he had made on the table. I was shocked. None of this was their fault!
"Stop Ine. Don't clean it up." I turned to Joe. "How dare you order your children around as if they were your slaves? When I came downstairs that coffee was steaming. It is certainly not their fault that you took such a long time to get dressed and to come downstairs. They weren't the ones to spit the coffee out and they certainly shouldn't be the ones to clean your mess up. Why don't you do it?"
Ine had frozen with a cloth in her hand looking between Joe and me uncertainly. Joe looked ashamed for a second but then his face turned beet red with fury.
"Ine clean it up. Remember Esme that this is my week. My rules are the ones you have to follow. And I say that the coffee was cold. Ine and Phillip should've kept it warm for me," he shouted getting right into my face.
"That is ridiculous. How can you expect your children to do everything for you?"
"Our children owe us a lot. We are the people that created them. We have given them a great life. They are just repaying some of the debt by helping around the house."
"You call that helping? They are doing everything for you."
"Goodbye Esme. I'm going to work now. Drop the children off at school and do all the things that you are supposed to do. Bye children. I'm very disappointed with your behaviour so far. Let us hope it will improve."
And he was gone. He'd just grabbed his briefcase and walked out of the door, just like that. I was still fuming but smiled at Ine and Phillip. After all it wasn't their fault at all that their parents weren't very nice at all.
"I guess we should go. We don't want you to be late." We all went to the garage after Ine had shown me where the car keys were and got in a small car. I drove the kids to school and said goodbye to both of them. After they'd left the car I was surprised to find a note left behind on Ine's chair. It read:
Dear Esme,
Thank you for standing up to us at breakfast but it is pointless. You'll be leaving all too soon and then everything will be the same as it was before. Please don't fight with Dad; he'll just be mad at us. Thank you,
Ine and Phillip
AN: So that's the end of the chapter; the next one will be at the Cullen's house again and Renesmee and Jacob are finally coming back. Please review; all your reviews make my day!
