Next chapter! There is more Esme in it, hope you like it!

When Carlisle came back from his hunt, he found his beautiful wife and his youngest daughter in the living room.

"Hello, my love," he said while walking towards the couch she was sitting on.

"Sshh!" Esme answered and gave her husband, who leaned down over the backrest of the couch, a kiss on the lips. "We have to be quiet, she just fell asleep," she added quietly.

"Oh." Carlisle smiled. "It's good to see her like that."

"It is. But you and I are going to have a long talk when this movie is over." The change in Esme's voice confused Carlisle. "What is bothering you, darling?"

"Not now!" she hissed and pointed at the sleeping girl, who still had her head resting on Esme's lap.

"I'll be in my office, then. Join me whenever you are ready." Well, he loved his wife with all his heart, but she was still a woman and therefore - confusing.

Esme wasn't exactly infuriated, but she definitely wanted to talk to Carlisle about what had happened a couple of hours ago. Her baby couldn't even walk without hurting, is that what he considered a fitting punishment?

They had discussed Maddie's actions of today and agreed that two separate punishments were in order, but if the second one would be like this, Esme was against it.

Just then Alice skipped into the room and came to a halt in front of Esme.

"Go talk to him," she whispered. "I'll watch her until you come back."

"Are you sure?" After all, she had told her youngest that she would not leave her, but she needed to find out what Carlisle had planned to do on the next day.

"Yes, we'll be fine. Off you go!" Alice chirped and took Esme seat, carefully placing her sisters head in her lap, so she wouldn't wake her up.

"You are upset, my love, talk to me." Carlisle sat behind his desk in his office and looked up from his book when his wife entered the room.

"What did you do to her?" she demanded and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Esme, we talked about it and decided to correct her behaviour with a spanking," he answered and put the book away.

"You have been too harsh, Carlisle, she couldn't even walk without hurting. This will not happen again tomorrow, let me tell you that." Judging by the tone Esme used with her husband right now, Momma Bear just made an appearance.

"Her actions today demanded for a stricter approach. She manipulated us, knowing full well that it is disrespectful and dishonest and there would be consequences for it. What's even worse, she had been punished for misusing her gift several times already, and still did not learn from her previous mistakes."

"Madeline is a child! What do you expect?" Esme queried.

Carlisle stood up from his chair and closed the distance between himself and his wife by walking around the big desk and leaning against it. Then he answered in a calm tone of voice, "I expect her to learn to think before she acts. It doesn't help to tell her with a wagging finger that she's been naughty. It is our responsibility as her parents to guide her and to keep her in line. And that is exactly what I have been doing."

"And what will you be doing tomorrow?"

"I'll discipline her again, of course. Esme, we were in agreement on this."

"Yes we were ... before I saw her like this."

"I did not abuse her, Esme, I would never do that. And I do not plan on using the same severity as of today. I am not cruel to our children," Carlisle told his wife, while driving his hands up and down her upper arms.

"... I know that," Esme said and looked Carlisle deep in the eyes. "I just don't want it to trigger bad memories from her past."

"That's what this is all about, isn't it? Did you talk to her about your concerns?"

"I did talk to her about her trust issues. And I know she remembers something bad, but she won't open up about it."

"And I doubt that she will, Esme, we have to accept that. Not even Tanya or Rose know much about her past. She just doesn't want to talk about it. Still, it is quite obvious that her human life was lacking structure and love."

"I just don't know how to help her," whispered Esme while looking down.

"You helped her a lot today by just being there for her. Only you as her mother can console her the way you did. She fell asleep on you, didn't she?"

"She did, and she is still sleeping so I better go downstairs again. I told her I wouldn't leave. And you," Esme said and kissed Carlisle on the lips, "better not be too severe with the little one tomorrow." She hugged him for a moment, then turned around and left his office. She did not need to make threats - he knew from experience what could happen if you displeased this dear mother.

Alice was humming along to the music of the movie, all the while braiding strands of Maddie's hair and flattening it out again.

"He changed his mind," she remarked when her mother stepped into the living room.

"What do you mean?"

"You made him change his mind. He'll be going very easy on Maddie tomorrow."

"Thank God, I was still a bit scared for her. Ooh, just look, she is still sleeping so peacefully."

"Yes, but she'll wake up soon ... in about half an hour. Maybe you shouldn't tell her that you left to talk to Carlisle," Alice suggested.

"I won't tell her, even though I feel bad for doing it." Esme felt like she betrayed Maddie's trust, but talking to Carlisle had been necessary.

"Don't. She is fine, see? No harm done." Alice smiled up at Esme while lightly stroking her sister's cheek. "Would you like to take your seat again?"

"I'd like that very much. Thank you for your help, Alice."

"You're welcome. Oh, and don't worry too much, Esme, everything will turn out fine," she said, gave Esme a kiss on the cheek and walked upstairs to spend some time with Jasper.

When Maddie woke, she felt rested and content. The honey-colored eyes of her mother looked down on her when she stirred and Esme promptly asked, "How are you, sweetheart?"

"I was out, wasn't I?" Maddie said while sitting up and running her fingers through her hair.

"It was a long day, honey, you needed to rest. Do you feel better now?"

"I do, thanks Mom." She nodded and leaned against her mother, who hugged her against herself with one arm around her shoulders.

"Would you like to go on a hunt?" Esme queried.

Maddie shrugged. "Not really, maybe in the morning."

They sat like this for a while until Esme asked, "Sweetheart, may I ask you a question?"

"Shoot."

"Your father and I will go on a journey next week and I am quite a bit concerned about leaving you here with your siblings."

"Huh? Why?" Maddie asked, giving Esme a perplexed look.

"I just don't feel comfortable leaving you right now," Esme admitted.

"But why? I don't get it. It's not like I'm alone, there are still five people who will be watching me."

"And is that all right with you? We could postpone our trip to another time and -"

"No! Mom, what is this all about? You are looking forward to this trip, right? Why would you delay it?"

Esme sighed. "All right. I have the feeling that you have some unpleasant memories resurfacing and I want to be here for you in case you wish to speak about it."

"Seriously?" Maddie asked in a 'are-you-shitting-me'-voice.

"Yes Madeline, I am being serious."

"Go on your trip, Mom," Maddie said decisively, got up and made to walk out of the living room.

"Wait! Maddie, I did not mean to upset you, I -"

"I am not upset, you are. Go hunting or something," Maddie retorted without turning around.

And there goes the bonding down the drain ...

Maddie couldn't help herself. She just hurried up the stairs and headed for her room.

Awesome. Esme wanted to postpone the trip and then it would be her fault, naturally. She didn't even do anything, how is that fair?

But before Maddie reached her room, she was stopped by Edward, who was leaning against the door frame of his own room.

"You got that wrong, little one. This is not about fault," he said.

"Stay out of my head, would you?" Maddie snapped, anger clearly showing.

"Esme is just concerned -," Edward tried, but was interrupted by his sister. "She shouldn't be."

"Care to let me finish?" he asked with raised eyebrows and watched her quickly turning around to face him.

"I don't want to hear it, Edward!" she exclaimed exasperatedly. "If they would delay their trip now, then I would be the one to blame just because Mom thinks I couldn't behave for one lousy week!"

"Maddie, stop. I just told you that you got it all wrong."

"Whatever," Maddie ground out and wanted to slam her door, but Edward stopped that from happening.

"'Unpleasant memories' is not a metaphor for screwing up. She does not think you might be misbehaving next week."

"What?"

Edward rolled his eyes at her. "Oh come on, you know what I am talking about."

"No." Pout.

Madeline," Edward sighed, "she doesn't want you to feel alone."

"But I am not alone, and you'll be there." As if they would ever leave her home alone, phh.

"Exactly," Edward said and ran his finger's through his hair, then explained further. "She is simply being Mom, you know? She did not mean to accuse you, she is just being her overprotective, caring self."

"Oh," Maddie replied when realisation finally hit and she frowned.

"I know what you think. Before you joined us, I was her baby." Edward smirked at his little sister. "Thanks to you, she finally isn't concerned about me all the time anymore."

"Hey!" Maddie playfully smacked him on the shoulder. "Take her back!"

"No way, you are her baby now. Good luck with that." He laughed, ruffled her hair and went to his room.

Great, she was the baby now.

TBC...

Sooo, what do you think? Review and let me know!

Btw, next chapter will be the second punishment, poor Maddie :-(