I'm as busy as a bee! Here is the next chapter, yaaay!
Oh, I have updated 2 chapters last time! Just because I saw that the hits for the 25th chapter were way higher than for the 24th. So ... in case you have missed that, go read it now!
This chapter here is going nowhere, so you can read it afterwards, all right?
Good.
Now read.
Before Carlisle could knock on Edward's door, he heard an audible 'Come in' from the other side of the door.
So he stepped into his son's room, closed the door behind himself and faced him.
"I'm sorry." Edward murmured instantly and looked down at his folded hands.
"Maybe we should go over what happened first before you ask to be forgiven," Carlisle suggested and sat next to Edward on the couch.
He turned slightly so he could have a better look at his son, who looked tense and very sorry for himself.
"Can we talk now or do you need a moment to collect yourself?" he asked. He would grant his son some time; it's been a while since Edward had been in trouble, after all.
"We can talk now."
"Good. Then start explaining, please. From the beginning ... which was yesterday, am I right?"
"Yes." Edward cleared his throat, then started to explain. "Yesterday evening, Maddie came to me and asked me if she could borrow a CD. She couldn't find hers in her room, even though she had been looking everywhere."
Carlisle remembered just how messy his daughter's room had looked like the night before. "I have seen her room, yes. Please continue."
"I allowed her to borrow mine," Edward said carefully.
"That was very generous of you," Carlisle commented. "What happened next?"
"We started arguing. Then I changed my mind and told her to hand the CD back to me. She didn't want to, so I grabbed it and we both held onto it. When I had had enough I just took it from her ... and ripped her finger off in the process. She screamed and you came up the stairs."
Carlisle pointed lazily at a spot on the floor a couple of feet away. "That stain over there - is that venom?"
"It is. That is where her finger had landed after I dropped it," Edward admitted nervously, eyeing the little black stain on his otherwise cream-coloured carpet - it looked burnt.
"Why didn't I notice yesterday?"
"I covered it by standing on that spot. We didn't want you to see."
"Where did you put her finger?" Carlisle queried, his voice strict as if warning his son to not tell him any lies now.
"Maddie had picked it up and stuffed it into the back pocket of her jeans."
"So her trousers are ruined, too?" The list surely became longer and longer.
"I think so. But I have no idea where she put them. Probably hidden some place where Esme wouldn't find them."
Carlisle nodded his head. He wouldn't put it past his youngest daughter to do just that.
"Why was her hand scratched? Did it happen just like you told me yesterday?"
"She did it herself," Edward uttered. "We could smell the venom and so Maddie figured you would smell it, too. The scratch was a good explanation and that way she could divert your attention from the fact that she was hiding her other hand."
Panic obviously triggered his daughter's brain-storming abilities. How did she do all that in the short time frame between screaming and him rushing into the room? He shook his head in disbelief, then addressed his son again. "Now, tell me why you two chose to lie to Esme and I."
"Maddie was panicking, I guess. I was, too. So we just tried to hide what happened the best we could. I told her at a later time that she should go find you because her hand didn't look too good, but she refused."
"You were aware of the fact that she was suffering pain?"
"Yes, Sir," Edward admitted shamefaced. "But what was I to do? She didn't want me to tell!"
"Do you think you made the right decision by following her request? She is young and has no experience whatsoever with severed extremities. She didn't know how to properly clean the wound or how to bandage it. Needless to say that she just made it worse and therefore was hurting a lot longer than she would have if someone had told me."
"No Sir, I should have come to you immediately, I know that now. But I really did not know that she was feeling even worse this morning. She told me to stay out of her head, and so I did. I felt guilty and I still feel guilty and therefore tried to make it up to her that way."
Edward sounded sincere; Carlisle knew that his son meant what he said.
But then he frowned, remembering something. "I don't understand why you argued in the first place. Care to enlighten me?"
"Well, she couldn't find her CD ... because I took it a couple of weeks ago."
"So you didn't ask her if she would lend you said CD?"
Edward drew a deep breath, then elaborated. "No. She destroyed mine so I concluded it was my right to take hers in compensation for my broken one."
"You have made no mention before that she broke your CD, Edward."
"Well ... she didn't exactly break it on purpose. It fell to the floor when she was sitting at her desk. She bent down to pick it up without looking. So she didn't quite catch it and scratched the surface, effectively ruining it," Edward explained meekly.
"I don't understand why you took hers then. Didn't she apologise?" He had taught his daughter manners, or more precisely: The Denalis beat him to it and taught his daughter manners, but he, of course, continued to remind her of these.
"She did," Edward confessed after some hesitation.
Carlisle stared at him, dumbfounded. "I am not following, son."
"It should have been her duty to get me a new one, but she didn't do it," Edward replied, all of a sudden the perfect image of a petulant child.
Carlisle pinched the bridge of his nose - he was a little bit irritated now. "You have at least four debit cards and another three credit cards in your wallet. Why didn't you just buy a new one?"
"That's what Maddie asked," he murmured in response to his father's question.
"And what was your answer?"
"I told her that she needed to learn to treat other people's belongings more carefully. That's why I took her CD."
"I appreciate your concern about you sister's manners, but since when are you responsible for parenting her?" Carlisle queried exasperatedly.
"But my CD was ruined!" Edward's voice grew louder. Why didn't his father see reason?
"And then you steal from her?"
"It wasn't exactly stealing, was it?" Edward tried to reason.
"Edward, I cannot believe what you just said! Wasn't it just mere days ago when you told Jasper that Madeline had been stealing at school? She took something that wasn't hers?"
Edward huffed. "That was different."
"Yes, it was. Maddie's classmate destroyed her homework on purpose, whereas Maddie scratching your CD was an accident."
Edward looked like a child that got caught with his hands in the cookie jar at that rebuke. Busted!
Carlisle did not expect him to say anything else, so he just went on.
"Now ... let me sum up your misdeeds: You stole your sister's CD, then you hurt her, lied to your mother and I, did not inform us of Madeline's severed finger and let her walk around in pain, then you lied to me again this morning. Anything else I need to add? You would do well to tell the truth."
Edward hung his head. "No, Sir. That is all."
Then Carlisle sighed. "What has gotten into you, Edward? Lying is so unlike you, why did you do it?"
Edward squirmed a bit under his father's gaze, but decided he should not feed him anymore lies. "Well, Maddie is good at lying so I decided to go along. I knew I would be in trouble if you found out that I injured her."
"I do realise that it was an accident. So if you would have come to me straightaway, you wouldn't be in trouble. Maybe just a brief grounding because you wrenched the CD from her hands, which may be considered as fighting. But the fact that you tried to hide the injury from me, which was a grossly negligent conduct, makes it impossible for me to ignore. Due to her lack of experience you couldn't possibly rely on her decision-making ability. You were responsible for her well-being then, but you failed her. That makes it just as grave as if you had intentionally taken her finger off."
Edward gulped audibly. "Yes, Sir."
"Do you remember what I told you last time you hurt somebody deliberately?"
That did not look good for Edward. He gulped again. "Yes, Sir."
"Tell me," Carlisle prompted.
"You said I would get a hiding that would outshine the last one I got." He looked up, his eyes were wide all of a sudden. "It was an accident, Carlisle! I didn't mean to hurt her, just take the CD from her!"
"You got rough with your sister when she wouldn't comply. Edward, it is important that you learn to control your temper! What's going to happen next time she makes you angry? Can I trust you not to hurt her again?"
"I told you that I'm sorry! What else do you want to hear, huh?" Well, Hellooo Edward's temper!
"You would do well to sit down again! That outburst was more than just uncalled for!" Carlisle reproved strictly.
When Edward reluctantly sat back down, Carlisle went on.
"I have another question for you. Please answer honestly."
Edward didn't look up at his father, but he gave him a curt nod.
"Do you know the reason why Madeline panicked and tried to hide her injury?"
"She thought otherwise I would tell you that she swore at me."
"Is that true?" Carlisle frowned. He thought Edward would know something different.
"Yes! She thought about you being mad at her. I figured it was because of that," Edward explained, but his facial expression suddenly held confusion.
"You didn't pick up anything else? Are you sure?" The scepticism in Carlisle's voice made his son uneasy.
"No! Dad, I am being honest with you! I was anxious myself, so I was listening for your thoughts when you came up the stairs! What's going on? Is she all right?"
"Yes, she is, son. No need to worry," Carlisle reassured, then sat up straighter. It was time to address the punishment.
"Now, to your punishment: I think a spanking would be adequate for your lying and not taking care of your sister. In addition: no music for the next two weeks, because you stole Maddie's CD. Oh, I count playing the piano as music, too, young man."
Edward's face fell. The additional punishment hurt Edward more than any whipping could. Not being able to play his beloved piano and no music in general was like going cold turkey.
"Dad, isn't that a bit harsh?"
Carlisle squinted at his son. "Oh, do you think? So stealing from your sister is all right in your world? It certainly isn't in mine."
"No, you are right," Edward groaned in defeat.
"Do you accept your punishment?"
"Yes, Sir." Well, what else could he do?
"Then unfasten your trousers, son, and bend over my lap," Carlisle ordered and started to roll up his sleeves.
Edward was frozen in terror. "Your lap? No, no, no."
"You just said you would accept your punishment. Now do as I say, please," Carlisle replied without looking up.
"But Dad! I am not a child!"
Now Carlisle looked up and asked, "You don't consider any of your actions childish, no?"
"I admit that what I did was wrong, and I cannot apologise enough, but please! Can't I just bent over the desk?" he tried desperately to change his father's mind. Getting spanked while lying over somebody's lap was a punishment for girls and children, but definitely not for a grown man like him!
"No." Was Carlisle's curt answer.
Edward did not look like he was going to comply.
"Edward, when I tell you to do something, I expect you to do it. Now come here."
"Please ... not like this. You let Emmett bend over the desk."
"I am not discussing this with you. Will you come here now of your own accord, or do I have to come and get you?" Carlisle asked with raised eyebrows, "Trust me, I will do it, but you will not like the outcome."
Edward folded his arms and looked away.
"Don't make such a fuss! You are really trying my patience right now," Carlisle warned with narrowed eyes.
"I don't see why it has to be this way! I won't submit until you change your mind about it!" Edward demanded, sounding braver than he actually felt.
That was the last straw. Carlisle just about had it with his petulant son, so he dashed forward, grabbed him by the sleeve of his shirt and pulled him forward until he was standing right before him.
Even though Edward struggled, Carlisle managed to unbutton his son's trousers.
"No, stop! I'll do it!" So ... Edward's petulance was obviously gone; now he just tried to diffuse the situation, for his butt's sake, of course.
"It's too late for that now, Edward," his father replied and pushed Edward's trousers down to pool at his ankles.
With a quick pull, Edward was suddenly lying over his father's knees.
"Can I trust you to lie still and not try to run? We'll be done much quicker if you behave."
"Yes, Sir," Edward answered. His face would have turned beet-red by now ... but it couldn't, so he was as pale as usual, but with a healthy portion of embarrassment detectable.
Carlisle had waited for Edward to answer, before he pulled his boxer-shorts down to meet his trousers around his ankles.
Now that brought a new round of struggling and complaining.
"Carlisle - Dad, please! It was an accident, I didn't mean to hurt her!"
"Oh, my dear boy, your spanking will be on the bare due to your obstinacy just now. So there is no need to complain to me about it," Carlisle explained to him.
And then, it began.
Carlisle quickly covered Edward's bottom with sharp slaps, all the while having a tight grip on his waist to keep him from fleeing.
Edward squirmed and struggled to get off his father's lap - it's been a while since he was in a position like this, and it was definitely worse than what he remembered.
"Hold still, will you? You brought it on yourself," Carlisle rebuked, never stopping his rhythm.
So Edward settled for putting his head into his folded arms and clenching his teeth, hoping it would be over soon.
But a particularly vicious smack to the undercurve of his behind made him shout out and kick his legs.
That was no unusual behaviour for Edward while being walloped. Carlisle just pinned Edward's legs down with his right one to hinder him from kicking out once more.
Theatrical as Edward was, he now wailed loudly with every slap. But that was all right, they were nearly done anyways. And so Carlisle pushed him forward to gain better access to his son's sit-spots.
Eight well-aimed smacks to that sensitive area and it was over.
The punishment Carlisle had doled out was appropriate, so he did not feel overly guilty for having to chastise his son. He started to rub his back in a comforting manner and succeeded in calming him some.
When Edward's movement indicated that he was ready to stand up, Carlisle pulled his shorts back over his punished behind. Edward hissed; he never would have thought that cotton could be so rough!
They stood up together. Carlisle waited for Edward to pull up his jeans and buttoning it, before he hugged and squeezed him.
"I've got you son, shh, you're all right. It's forgiven," he cooed. His father's words were incredibly comforting to Edward and his crying turned into sniffling.
"I'm sorry," Edward said and sounded pitiful.
"I know you are, Edward, calm yourself. You're forgiven. But please try to control your temper. I would hate disciplining you again for breaking your siblings body parts off."
"I will take good care not to let it happen again, Dad. I promise!" Edward exclaimed wide-eyed.
Carlisle gave him a smile and ruffled his son's unruly hair. "I am glad to hear that, Edward."
Good? Bad?
Was Carlisle too harsh? But you have to keep in mind that Edward is a stupid dickhead, kay? I think that changes EVERYthing :-D
REVIEW! Cause reviews make me happy ... and when I'm happy, I update the next chapter which is actually already finished *g* (Just need to proof-read once more.)