A/N: I'm at work and there's a drag show in my future.
This has been the amusing part of this chapter.
*hand holding*
"Daddy, why is Daddy still outside?"
Carlisle looked up from where he was at the stove to see Riley perched with his knees on a chair, staring out the window. A small sliver of the driveway was visible from the window, and as Carlisle stepped up behind Riley, he could see Edward outside. His husband was pacing, alternately running a hand through his hair and gesticulating wildly. Carlisle grimaced and turned the burner on the stove off. He could guess who Edward was on the phone with.
Lifting Riley off the chair, Carlisle set him down facing the living room. "I need you out of the kitchen, buddy. I'll go outside and see what Daddy is up to, but I need you to stay with Bree. Come get us if she wakes up before we're inside, okay?"
"I'm on it." Riley ran ahead of him and threw himself down on his tummy beside the playpen where his sister slept. He rolled over onto his back, driving two of his toy cars around in the air making vroom and crash noises.
Carlisle checked on the baby, just in case, before he walked outside.
"I don't know how many times I have to tell you," Edward was saying. "Don't you understand? You know what kink is."
Blowing out a breath of frustration, Carlisle caught Edward's hand on its umpteenth trip to his hair. He twined their fingers together and wrapped an arm around his waist.
"No," Edward said, his tone sharp. "He's not abusing me. I like it. I want it." He growled and banged his head against Carlisle's shoulder. "It's not brainwashing." He pulled the phone away from his ear a brief moment to glare at it. "Can't you take my word for it?" He balked. "It's not degrading. It's… Jesus, it's anything but." He waved his hand as though his mother was there in front of him. "Because you don't get to decide for me what's disrespectful to my own body. You don't understand. It's the opposite of what you're thinking. He's doing it all for me. No. Mom-"
Carlisle stroked the back of his neck, his jaw clenched.
It looked bad. He knew that. There was a good reason why people involved in the scene were rarely open about it. Back when Edward had revealed he knew Carlisle was a Dom, the very first thought that had run through his mind was stark fear. For a split second, there was the potential his world was going to come crashing down around him.
The thought wasn't exaggeration by any stretch of the imagination. Everyone in the scene knew someone or knew firsthand some kind of discrimination. People had been arrested, fired. They'd been beat up. When they opened the door to Edward's parents, Ed Senior had come near enough to kicking Carlisle's ass first and asking questions later. He would have, if Edward hadn't gotten between them. It was the most emotion Carlisle had ever seen the man display.
They tried to explain, but Ed and Elizabeth couldn't see past the marks on Edward's body. To make matters worse, it fit a worry that had been nagging at Elizabeth for nearly a year now. She'd seen the horrible bruise on Edward's back from the accident they'd had with the paddle, and she'd never trusted Carlisle to begin with. What they'd walked in on had fit the narrative of her suspicions perfectly.
"Look, I can't have this conversation with you for the hundredth time again," Edward said, his tone irritated. "I don't need help leaving him. I'm never going to leave him. Listen to me. I'm so happily married it's ridiculous. If you'd only listen, you'd understand how far off-base you are."
Carlisle could have told him he was wasting his breath. As far as Ed and Elizabeth were concerned, their only child was in the hands of a monster. He sighed and kissed Edward's cheek. He was trying to stay calm, but he had to wonder how far the Masens would go. If they couldn't be convinced Edward wasn't being abused, what would they do with what they knew?
Edward's brow furrowed. "Yeah, he's right here, why…" He slammed the heel of his hand against his forehead, realizing his mistake. "No, he's not making me say anything. Dammit, I'm not afraid of him. I've never been afraid of him. Don't you see the difference?
"Okay. I'm done. I have to go feed my kids, Mom." With a disgruntled huff, Edward disconnected the call and glared at his phone. "Fuck."
Carlisle tugged and his husband turned to him, wrapping him up in a hug. Edward took a deep breath, calming his frustration. "I'm sorry."
"What could you possibly be sorry about?"
"For them." He looked up. His fingers drummed a steady beat at Carlisle's spine. "I can't stand that they think that way about you. It's just so opposite of who you are." He raised a hand to trace his thumb along Carlisle's chin. "You're so good to me. No one could be more giving, more focused on me and what I need.
"The problem is the only depictions of BDSM they have are the bullshit that's in mainstream. Men who push virginal young women to submit to things that scare them, that hurt them, that they don't enjoy, and tell them it's sexy. They think that's what you're doing to me. That I have to submit-subject and degrade myself because otherwise, I'd lose you." He shook his head, obviously getting worked up again.
Carlisle rubbed his shoulders, hushing him. "I know, sweetheart."
Shrugging off his hands, Edward wrapped his arms around Carlisle's neck. "You don't deserve this. I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry your parents don't listen to you." Carlisle sighed, hugging his husband close. "Give it time, Edward. They'll come around."
Carlisle said the words, but there was a large part of him that didn't believe them. Abused persons often defended and excused their abusers. Was 'I wanted it' so much different than the victims who said 'it's my fault?' They sounded similar to someone who couldn't fathom why anyone would want to be beaten, bruised, and treated roughly. The way he'd been pulling Edward's hair, pumping into his mouth had to have looked like rape.
What could they do but wait to see how it would all pan out?
~0~
The other foot fell a month after that first confrontation.
Siobhan arrived for her monthly visit with a grim look Edward didn't like at all. She sat down with them after she'd sent Riley off to play in his room for a minute.
"Okay, this is awkward," she said. "Um. Well, the bottom line is that there has been a report of abuse."
Edward's stomach threatened to turn itself inside out. "What?" He asked, the sound strangled.
"Your parents have alleged abuse against you by Carlisle, Edward," Siobhan said, looking from Edward to Carlisle. "They said they witnessed a rather graphic incident. They said they were worried about further abuse in the home."
"They don't know what the fuck they're talking about," Edward said.
Carlisle squeezed his hand. "They didn't see what they think they saw."
They explained or tried to. Siobhan smiled and nodded. "I'm sympathetic to you. I have an appreciation for that culture," she said. "But once abuse allegations have been levied, we have to investigate. There'll be an interview, a home investigation-more thorough than the initial walk-through. And we'll have questions for you and Riley."
"Okay," Carlisle said evenly. "We'll cooperate, of course."
They did. They cooperated with Siobhan and the small team who combed through their home and watched them with their kids. They answered embarrassing questions from social workers who, with the exception of Siobhan, failed to hide their judgment of Edward and Carlisle's chosen lifestyle.
In the end, the decision came down on the director's shoulders. The same man who'd given the initial interview.
Only a few days after the initial accusation, they were asked to meet with Mr. Newton. The children were taken into a separate room with Siobhan, while Edward and Carlisle were sent to the principal's office.
"The paraphernalia we found concerned us," the man said.
"You were given an explanation of every item you had a question about," Edward said, his voice tight. "We can't possibly be the only parents you've encountered with an active and… varied sex life. Like anyone else, we don't expose the kids to what we do in the privacy of our own bedroom."
The man's lips twitched downward. "Be that as it may, we can't ignore the implications here. These are implements designed for corporal punishment of an extreme and insidious nature."
"I don't even believe in spanking a child with my hand . Neither of us has ever touched those kids," Carlisle said.
"No, but you've admitted you've beaten your husband."
Carlisle's body jolted. "That's not-"
"Doctors Cullen." Mr. Newton leaned across his desk. "I'm sorry. It's not something we can risk condoning."
Edward thought for a horrible second he really was going to throw up. "What are you saying?"
"At this time, I think it's best that we terminate your relationship with this agency."
"You can't do that," Edward said in an incredulous whisper. He couldn't quite wrap his head around what Mr. Newton was saying. Beside him, Carlisle put the hand that wasn't clutching his to his mouth. He looked struck.
"Of course, you know very well we can," the director said.
"But this is absurd," Carlisle said. "Whatever you need us to do, we'll do it. Whatever classes you want us to take, or-"
"You're not a legal parent in any sense of the word, Dr. Cullen. No one has made any charges against you as you have no parental rights to suspend. But neither do you have parental rights to regain. The agency is responsible for these children. If the state were to have to get involved on a case, not only would Riley and Bree be affected, but every child in our care might potentially suffer. I'm sure you understand our concern."
"So if they were ours, we could beat them both to high hell and there'd be a way to get them back, but we've loved these kids for eight months, we've promised we would be their family, and you're just going to rip that away when we haven't done anything?" Edward said. He didn't even know if he was angry. None of this made sense. It couldn't be real.
"I'm sorry," Mr. Newton said. "That's my final decision in the matter."
It was. No matter how they reasoned. Argued. Begged. Mr. Newton wouldn't be swayed. There was no compassion in this man's eyes. He'd never liked them from the get go, and he, like Edward's parents, was only too-willing to believe the worst.
"If you claim to love these children as much as you do, then you won't make it more difficult on them. If you can promise you'll leave without making a scene, you can say goodbye."
"How generous of you," Edward said without inflection.
It couldn't be real.
Mr. Newton's eyes narrowed. "If you'd prefer not to-"
"No!" Edward and Carlisle said together. Edward had never been more desperate to see his kids in his life. He clutched Carlisle's hand and followed the director out of the room in a daze.
When they entered the private room where Siobhan was with Riley and Bree, the little boy ran to them. He threw his arms around Carlisle's legs. It was obvious he'd been crying for a long time. "Siobhan says we can't live with you. She's wrong. She's wrong. Daddy, tell her she's wrong."
Carlisle got to his knees, engulfing Riley in his arms. He didn't speak. Edward saw he couldn't just then. As he searched for words, Edward went to Siobhan. "I'm sorry," she said quietly, handing him Bree who was reaching for him.
"Da," the little girl said, her tone somehow fretful. She whimpered, no doubt picking up the mood in the room. She often got upset when her brother was upset. "Da. Da."
Edward's heart cracked, but the feeling was far away. He was numb, but he hugged her closer instinctively. "Don't cry, beautiful baby girl. Shhh. It's all okay."
"You promised we were going to be a forever family," Riley yelled. He shoved at Carlisle until he got free of his arms and ran to Edward. "Daddy, please. Please. You said you weren't going to get in trouble like Mommy. You said you were careful. You said! Please, don't leave us. Please."
Edward knelt, unable to do anything but put his free arm around Riley. "This isn't what we want," he said-the only words he could find.
Carlisle put his arms around all of them, and Bree's whimpers became full blown cries. There were tears on Carlisle's cheeks, but Edward still felt switched off.
This couldn't be real. This couldn't be happening.
"Time to go now," Mr. Newton said with a touch of impatience. "Say goodbye to Carlisle and Edward, Riley."
"No!" Riley clung to both of them. "No, no. I was a good boy. You said I was a good boy. You said you were going to be good, too. You said. No. No. No."
Edward had to fight the urge to tighten his hold as Siobhan gently took Bree from his arms. She had to hand the baby girl to Mr. Newton in order to pry Riley away from Carlisle. "It'll be okay," Edward said, because he couldn't make himself believe it wouldn't be.
He was numb as Mr. Newton ushered them away from the children, down the hallway-it felt so utterly wrong to get further away from Riley and Bree when they were crying like that, screaming for their daddies-out the door. They were both breathing raggedly when they got in their car. "This isn't happening," Edward whispered, staring straight forward. He turned to his husband. "Carlisle?" he said, as though he could explain somehow. He was going to wake up any second.
Carlisle stared back at him, his eyes fathomless and lost-filled with tears. He had no answers. In fact, the way he was breathing, Edward wondered suddenly if he was going to hyperventilate. He held a hand in a fist against his mouth. "Our kids. Edward."
Edward stared at the building in front of them as if he expected any minute, Riley would come tumbling down the stairs, his smile huge, eager to tell them about his day. He glanced in the rearview mirror to Bree's car seat. He blinked, wondering vaguely why it was empty.
This couldn't be happening.
A/N: I...don't know what to say. If you have questions, please let me know. The next few chapters have some clarification.
Many thanks to Mina and Packy 2.0 for filling my documents with gifs and threats. Thanks to songster for the technical knowledge. Thanks to jessypt, MoH, and barburella.
Annnnnd thank you, my lovelies. Mwah.