A/N: I'm going through my cushion way too fast. Humph.

Watching Edward with Bree was one of the best things Carlisle thought he'd ever seen.

It wasn't that he was bad with Riley. Riley got along with Edward as much as Riley got along with anyone. They rough housed on occasion, tumbling around the living room. Edward talked with him about the other kids at his school, and Edward was patient with his questions. He was a good, attentive father to their active, sometimes angry foster son. He simply had a deeper connection with Bree at that point.

Whenever he got home, Bree went bananas, babbling for him, bouncing in place, and waving her arms wildly until he picked her up. When she was upset, Edward could soothe her faster. Carlisle thought it was adorable how Edward never stopped talking to her. He often held her at his hip, chatting with her as though her baby babble was actually an in-depth conversation on the latest surgical techniques.

Carlisle never got tired of watching Edward with the baby. That was exactly what he was doing as he and Riley sprawled on the couch one late afternoon. They were both exhausted-it had been a full day of children's museums-but Edward and Bree were going strong.

They were both sitting on Bree's playmat, playing silly baby games. Bree grinned and bounced in place, happily picking up things to wave in Edward's face. He played and talked with her, making her squeal and giggle her pretty little head off.

Edward started to make foolish faces. He made fish lips and waved his hands at his ears. Bree tilted her head, studying him for a moment before she mimicked his pose. Her lips were more duck lips-"Someone's ready for selfies," Edward said-and she puffed her cheeks out at the same time.

Carlisle laughed. Edward cackled and scooped Bree into his arms. He blew raspberries at her neck, and she screeched, the both of them clearly delighted with each other.

Beside Carlisle, Riley yawned. "I could do that too," he said, more sleepy than actually moody. He yawned again and laid down with his head pillowed on Carlisle's lap, and promptly fell asleep.

"He'd make a good doctor if he can fall asleep like that," Edward said, coming over to join Carlisle on the couch with Bree in his arms.

"He falls asleep in the weirdest places," Carlisle said, fondly pushing Riley's hair back out of his face.

Riley grunted, shifted, and let out a mighty toot in his sleep. Edward and Carlisle giggled like school boys. Bree, knowing a good time when she saw one, joined in.

Carlisle was smitten with his makeshift family.

~0~

Watching Carlisle with Riley was one of the greatest pleasures of Edward's life.

It wasn't that he was bad with Bree. Quite the contrary. He'd gotten up with her just as much as Edward when she was getting used to sleeping through the night in her new home. He changed diapers, fed her, bathed her, and loved playing with her as much as Edward.

But Bree was a baby. As long as she was fed and dry, she was easy. Needy, but simple. Riley was the antithesis of easy. He was an angry, stubborn little boy. Edward knew he was confused. His mother and whatever friends she'd trooped in and out of his life had filled his head with nonsense. He had a warped view of what constituted a man, which made the fact he now lived with two gay men interesting. Edward knew enough about child psychology to understand that at that age, the hateful things he occasionally spewed weren't really his thoughts, but ideas he was parroting.

Siobhan and Riley's therapist, Zafrina, had explained he felt traitorous. They could all tell Riley loved Carlisle and Edward. He loved their home, their attention, the things he'd never had at his mother's house. Loving them, being, heaven forbid, happy with them made him feel like he'd betrayed his mother. It was always worse after a visit, when Victoria had time to refill his head with guilt and shame.

"I don't like you!" the little boy screamed, red in the face and tear streaked.

Carlisle nodded in that maddeningly calm way of his. "I'm okay with that. You still have to pick up your toys."

Riley sat down in the middle of the room with a huff and crossed his arms. Carlisle sat in his recliner, crossed his legs, and started to page through a medical journal. Riley huffed several more times. Carlisle ignored him. In the kitchen making dinner with Bree happily banging away at something in her playpen, Edward did his best not to snicker.

Carlisle had always been good with brats.

It took a good ten minutes of huffing, but Riley finally, quietly, cleaned up the mess he'd been asked repeatedly to straighten. When he was done, he sat at Carlisle's feet, his head bowed, and tugged restlessly at his pant leg. "I put my toys away," he said in a tiny voice.

Carlisle put down his journal and lifted the boy onto his lap. "That wasn't so hard," he said.

Riley sat stiffly for a minute, his lower lip crumpling as he fought valiantly not to cry. Edward had to shake away his father's voice in his head. "No one likes a crybaby, Junior. Be a little man."

Carlisle patted the boy gently, tenderly. He rubbed his back, and when Riley broke, he gathered him close for a tight, tight hug.

"I'm bad," Riley said, and Edward's heart broke for him.

"No," Carlisle said, kissing the top of his head. His eyes found Edward's as he spoke softly to Riley. "You're a very good boy."

"Are you sure?" He sniffed. "You won't make me leave?"

Carlisle sighed, his eyes still on Edward as he squeezed the boy tighter. "What have I told you before, hmm?"

Riley sniffled and pulled back, looking at him and wiping his eyes. He shrugged, and Carlisle ruffled his hair affectionately. "Edward and I are doctors, remember? We checked out all the bones in your body, and we're pretty sure you don't have a single bad one." He made a show of pulling Riley's arm out to inspect it just in case.

The little boy giggled at that and pulled his hands away, hiding them in his lap.

"There's that big smile." Carlisle smiled back at him. "Don't be so hard on yourself, kiddo," he said, helping him dry his tears. "Sometimes, when we're angry, we do silly things. You know you're supposed to clean up when you make a mess, but you just needed a minute to calm down. Happens to everyone."

"What about you an' Edward?"

"Oh, Edward is naughty all the time. Trust me."

"Hey," Edward said, coming out of the kitchen. "I resemble that remark."

Riley craned his head to look up at Edward. "Do you get time outs?"

"Um." Edward rubbed the back of his neck, feeling his cheeks go pink. "Grown-ups are a little different, bub, but kind of, yeah." He cleared his throat. "Anyway. Who's hungry?"

"Me. Me. Me. Me!" Riley slid off Carlisle's lap to the floor, all smiles again.

"Go wash up," Carlisle said to Riley as he followed Edward back into the kitchen.

Before Edward could turn to take the food off the stove, his husband reached out and hooked a finger through his belt loop. He pulled Edward back against him, pinning him against the counter and kissing the spot beneath his ear. "We should talk about putting you on adult time-out soon." His voice was a low rumble that made him shiver.

Edward turned in his embrace and wrapped his arms around Carlisle's neck. Their kisses were quick but deep, passionate, and Edward bucked his hips up against his husband in a wordless promise.

~0~

Six months passed. Riley turned six and Bree turned one. Edward and Carlisle were there for first steps, first words, and Riley's first day of school. They took care of the children, kissed them and cared for them, as if they were already their own. Riley started to call them Daddies, and Bree often whimpered, reaching for one of them when she was with her mother.

As for Victoria, as Siobhan had predicted, she began to struggle. The police were called to her home when a fight between her and James-who was again not supposed to be in the home-got too loud and violent for the neighbors to ignore. She missed many of her court-mandated classes and began to miss visits, too.

When the children had been with them for eight months, Siobhan began to prepare them all for the likelihood Victoria's parental rights would be severed sooner than later. It was a long process, but they were on their way to becoming a forever family.

One night, Riley climbed up onto Carlisle's lap. Carlisle braced himself. The boy had been quieter than usual all afternoon. Riley nestled against him, head ducked against his chest. "Know what?" he said in an uncertain voice.

"What's that?" Carlisle asked, scratching his fingernails along the child's back the way he liked.

"I like this house and my room. And I like you and Daddy." He reached out to pat Edward who was sitting beside them on the couch. "And Bree likes it here, too, I think. She laughs all the time, and she's learning lots and lots."

Carlisle glanced at Edward. His husband's smile was small, sad, but his eyes were lit with tenderness, too. It was, they'd reflected more than once, a heartbreaking way to make a family-by watching another family crumble. Edward ducked his head to press a kiss to Bree's hair. The baby was snug in his arms, her eyelids drooping as she lost her battle with sleep. "We like having you here," Edward said.

Riley furrowed his brows, looking up at both of them. "Do you love us?"

"Of course," Edward and Carlisle said together.

"Mommy loves us, too." Riley looked down and began to play with a button on Carlisle's shirt. "But Mommy has problems, huh? That's what Siobhan said."

Edward's jaw went stiff at Riley's words. These last few months, it had been increasingly difficult to have to take the kids to see their mother. They'd long ago become attached to the children and taking them to visit a woman who only ever seemed to confuse and disappoint them was beyond frustrating.

Carlisle swallowed down a hard lump in his throat. He hated when his kids-it was so difficult not to think of them as already his-ached for anything. "Yes," he said, giving Riley a squeeze. "Your mother loves you very much, but sometimes people can't be good parents. Sometimes it's better for their kids not to live with them."

"Then you and Daddy would get to keep us? But what if you have trouble like Mommy?" He looked up at Carlisle with wide, fearful eyes.

Edward shifted the sleeping baby to a more secure position so he could scoot closer to Carlisle and Riley. He put his arm around Carlisle's shoulders and stroked the back of Riley's hair. "We're not going to have trouble like your mommy, bub. We would be so lucky to be your forever daddies that we would be careful never to lose you."

Riley worried his lip for a moment, but then he nodded. He climbed to his feet so he could hug first Carlisle, then Edward. "I hope we get to stay here forever," he said as he slid down between them. He grabbed at the remote control. "Can we watch Nickelodeon?"

Glancing at Edward, Carlisle couldn't help but smile. They shared a sweet kiss over their children's' heads.

~0~

Like all parents, Carlisle and Edward had to learn to juggle parenthood and intimacy. Sex wasn't too difficult. They were both demonstrative men, and they had no problem taking advantage whenever the opportunity for an impromptu quickie arose.

Finding their stride as a Dominant and a submissive was a different story. They couldn't be as loud as they once had been, and it was imprudent to get into any kind of bondage, however light, when there was a chance of a kid interrupting them.

As a result, when they did have enough time and privacy to slip into scene, they were ravenous for each other. Their play escalated quickly, and it wasn't difficult for them to be rough with each other. Edward loved it when Carlisle was so undone, so feral. He loved Carlisle's complete possession of his body and will, the way he made Edward helpless so he had no choice but to give himself over to the pleasure and adrenaline.

That day, Emmett-Edward's friend from the hospital where he'd met Carlisle-and his wife Rosalie had taken Riley and Bree. They were taking Rosalie's godson Henry to a ballgame, and had offered to take both children to give Edward and Carlisle a break.

The car was hardly out of the driveway before Carlisle was on Edward. He gripped his hips and spun him around. Edward gasped as he was shoved hard against the door. Carlisle grabbed his wrists and yanked his arms above his head. He pinned him there, his fingers like manacles. He kicked at Edward's feet, forcing his legs open wide.

Edward was already breathless as Carlisle pressed his chest against his back. His Dom switched his grip so both of Edward's wrists were trapped by one of his hands. He attacked Edward's neck with nips and licks.

"Do you want me to be gentle, pet?" Carlisle asked, taking Edward's earlobe between his teeth.

Edward swallowed a whimper, shivering with the vibration of Carlisle's voice against his skin. He shook his head, the movement already bordering on frantic.

"That's good." Carlisle's hand came down in a sharp smack on Edward's ass. He jumped but there was nowhere to go. Carlisle squeezed the cheek he'd struck as he continued to rumble in his ear. "Because I have no intention of going slow. You're mine, and I'm going to make sure you know it, little boy. This is mine." He gave Edward's ass another sharp smack, hard enough to make him yelp. "And this is mine." He reached around and cupped his hand over Edward's jean-clad cock. He took hold of him, his grip firm even through clothes. "Tell me who this belongs to."

"P. Sherman. Forty-two Wallaby Way. Sydney- Ahh!" Edward inhaled through his nose, bowing his head against the wood when Carlisle tightened his grip.

"Such a smart mouth you have, little boy." He nipped his ear again. He hadn't loosened his grip at all. "Tell me who this belongs to."

Edward strained forward, desperately craving friction. Carlisle pinned him with his hips, trapping his own hand but keeping Edward from seeking any kind of relief or release. "Y-You, daddy." His voice shook not from fear but from excitement. He was hard beneath Carlisle's hand, and his need was at its peak. He'd missed this. God, he'd needed this. It had been too long since he could put all his will in his Dom's capable hands.

Carlisle took a step to the side. "Whose is this?" he demanded, raining a succession of spanks on each of Edward's ass cheeks.

Edward squirmed, twisting this way and that but unable to escape Carlisle's grip. "Yours. Yours."

After another few smacks, Carlisle rubbed and pinched his ass. He stepped closer to him as he did and kissed the side of his cheek. "It's been so long since I've seen my mark on you, baby boy. You mark so beautifully." He worked his hand around, rubbing over Edward's erection. "I'm going to mark up that pretty ass of yours so good, you're going to feel me on you for days."

Edward's breath caught in a whine and he pressed his crotch into Carlisle's hand. "Please, daddy. Yes, please."

Carlisle pressed against his trapped wrists. He spread Edward's arms and pressed his palms flat against the wall. "You keep these right here. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Don't think I won't go get the paddle. I know where it is, little one. You move from here, and I'm going to make sure you feel me for a week, hmm?"

It wasn't an unappealing prospect, but Edward had slipped into subspace. He wanted very much to please his Dom. "I'll be good."

Carlisle let go of his hands and turned his face to the side for a kiss. "You always are, beautiful boy."

He kissed him again, sucking at his tongue while his hands began to wander. He unbuttoned Edward's jeans and pushed them down along with his underwear to pool around his ankles. Edward shivered in anticipation.

Breaking their kiss, Carlisle put his hands to Edward's hip, guiding him backward. "Stick that hot ass out for me. Good boy. Spread your legs. Just like that. Good boy."

He stepped back, and Edward whimpered when he heard the snickof Carlisle's belt coming undone. He shivered when he heard the rustle of leather being pulled through belt loops. His body tensed in anticipation. He jumped a bit but managed to hold position when Carlisle drew the belt lightly over his ass.

"Count these, and tell me who you belong to."

The belt swished through the air and landed with a loud crack against Edward's backside. He threw his head back, cutting off a yelp at the line of fire bloomed. "One, sir. I'm your boy."

All told, Edward counted twenty-five very hard strokes across his backside. Carlisle striped the backs of his legs with five strokes each. He landed a flurry of much lighter strokes along his back for good measure, all the while keeping Edward on task, counting and reiterating that he was Carlisle's.

Edward, still propped against the wall, sagged forward, breathing hard. He shuddered. Carlisle rubbed his back and over his sore ass. "So pretty, baby."

He gave him a sharp smack across his ass. "Get on your knees."

Edward almost moaned. He was shaky from the endorphin rush and his cock was rock hard, begging for release. His body craved Carlisle. He wanted to be filled. He wanted to be fucked up against the wall hard and fast and-

Carlisle gripped his ear, forcing his head back so Edward gasped. He looked him in the eyes and clucked his tongue. "I gave you a chance to obey."

Edward winced as Carlisle led him by the ear, like a naughty little boy, a distance away to the living room's plush carpet. "Get on your knees," he said again, and this time, Edward obeyed. "There now. That wasn't so hard."

He tangled his fingers in Edward's hair and again forced his head back even as he unbuttoned his pants. "Open," he said, and when Edward eagerly obeyed, he pushed his cock into his mouth.

Carlisle groaned, his grip on Edward's hair tightening. "Fuck me, pet. You're such a good cocksucker. You love it, don't you."

Edward hummed, knowing how much Carlisle loved the vibration. He bobbed and licked, gasping when Carlisle's fingers curled tighter. He loved it. Loved the rush. The roughness that bordered on the edge of violence. He loved that he could trust this man to take him to this brink but not go over. He could lose himself totally, because Carlisle would never hurt him, never take him further than he wanted to go.

Several things happened at once then. Someone pounded on the front door. Hard. Angry. Carlisle stepped back, pulling out of Edward's mouth just on time as Edward bit down in surprise.

"Fuck," Carlisle said and Edward spun to follow his gaze. His brain was hazy, still caught up in subspace and the intensity of the scene. He couldn't figure out what that awful pounding was.

When he got fully turned around, Edward froze, every breath leaving him. His parents were at the window beside the door, the looks on their faces confused and horrified. They were both pounding on the door, the window. From where they were, Edward knew they could see the marks on his body, and they'd no doubt seen Carlisle fucking his mouth, pulling his hair as he did. It couldn't have looked good from where they were standing.

Edward agreed with Carlisle's assessment. "Fuck."

A/N: Oh, my. Well…

Anyway. How are you doing out there?