Warning: Contains non-sexual spanking. Don't like, don't read, don't flame.
Disclaimer: Do not own Twilight in any way shape or form.
A/N: Bella loses her mind and Carlisle loses his patience. Bwahahaha!
Chapter 11: Reckless and Bella are Pretty Much Synonymous
Carlisle's POV:
Though I was ecstatic that I was finally able to convince Bella that she was no burden to us, and that families are meant to help each other, there were other aspects of the conversation that worried me.
Going off of what I know about Bella, and what I have gleaned from our recent conversations, I have noticed that Bella is extremely reckless with her health and life. She thinks very little of herself, and sees no problem with depriving herself of sleep or starving herself, as revealed recently. She passed out, hit her head, and was bleeding, yet she did not think to come see me or any other doctor. She also sees no problems with putting herself in danger needlessly. She recklessly decided that driving with a head wound, while suffering from little sleep and food was acceptable.
Although these events were recent, I noticed that Bella's lack of self worth had been evident for as long as I have known her. So often she has rushed headlong into danger without thought. So often she has been impulsive. Bella is extremely lucky she has not been killed yet with all the stunts she's pulled, I thought concerned.
Bella's recklessness was the next topic of our discussion, and I decided to just hit the nail on the head and jump right into it. "Bella, what happened two days ago after our phone call?" I asked my daughter abruptly.
Her eyes widened, caught off guard by my question.
"I arrived at your house to find your blood on the kitchen counter and floor, along with cleaning supplies all over. Your cell phone was on the table along with a note telling Charlie you had gone for a drive", I explained while watching my daughter pale slightly. Her heartbeat was beginning to speed up, so I could tell my line of questioning was making her nervous.
As she continued to remain silent, I began to speak once more. "This was not a rhetorical question Bella and I expect a response, a truthful response."
I watched as Bella quickly looked down at her lap and fidgeted. The longer she remained silent, the more my belief became cemented that this was another reckless act of hers. I frowned, knowing that this meant Bella had earned herself a spanking.
Upset by this revelation and growing frustrated with my daughter's silence, I put my hand under her chin and lifted her head so that she was looking me in the eyes. "Isabella", I growled softly, "I will not ask again", I warned her. We have not even delved into the story and already she is being stubborn, I thought dispiritedly. This does not bode well for the rest of our conversation.
Spurred on by my warning, Bella took a deep breath before speaking. "I-I had been cleaning the kitchen when I suddenly blacked out", she mumbled into her lap.
Sighing internally, I lifted her chin once more before saying, "Look at me when you speak to me Bella".
Looking me in the eyes, she nodded jerkily before continuing. "I don't remember hitting my head, but-but while I was unconscious I had another one of my nightmares." I watched as she closed her eyes and then shook her head slightly; most likely to rid herself of whatever images came with the nightmare.
"When I woke up" she began to say, but I interrupted her. "What was your nightmare exactly?" I asked. I had no doubt that whatever was in this dream would be the reason for my daughter's hasty retreat.
Bella groaned before looking at me. "Dad, you already know what my dreams are about. Why do I have to explain this one? I know they're not true, so what's the point?" she asked exasperatedly.
I looked at my daughter sternly before replying, "I am aware of the general contents of your dreams, but I want to know the contents of this specific dream, because I want to know why you decided to run away". She looked away guiltily at my statement, further confirming the truth behind my words.
When she locked eyes with me again I gave her a pointed look. She sighed before beginning to speak once more in a soft, pained voice. "I was standing in a field watching as you guys and the wolves were fighting the Volturi. Y-you were outnumbered, and as I tried to scream at them to stop and move to help I found that I was frozen to the spot and that none of you could hear me" she said tearfully. Pulling my little girl into my lap I brushed away the stray tears as she fought to control herself.
Once she had calmed down enough, she continued speaking. "A-all I could d-do was stand and wa-watch as all of you w-were r-r-ipped to p-pieces and thrown into a fire!" she cried to me. "And a-as I w-watched you all b-b-burn, the V-Volturi all turned to me and t-told me it was all m-m-my fault!" she sobbed as I hugged her closely.
My heart ached with the pain she felt. Rubbing my daughter's back and whispering calming words I did the best I could to soothe away her pain. Once her tears had subsided she pulled away and looked at me with tired tearstained eyes. I brushed her tears away, thinking that maybe this conversation should be done at another time. Perhaps a small break, I thought, glancing at the clock.
"Sweetie, I believe we should take a small break and get you some lunch", I told to her, while pulling her to her feet. She groaned before dutifully following me into the kitchen. I guided her to a seat before thinking about what I should make. I debated on asking Bella on what she would like, but at seeing her sullen expression, decided she would not be very helpful.
Deciding a simple roast beef sandwich with a glass of milk would be sufficient, I set about my task and quickly set down the meal in front of my daughter. My daughter glanced at me before warily eyeing the sandwich. I bit back a grin. The way she was looking at it, one would think it was about to jump off the plate and attack her.
"Come Bella, you need to eat. You need to get better and that will only happen if you continue to eat well", I urged her.
Grimacing slightly, she picked the sandwich up and began to eat slowly. I grabbed the newspaper, and immersed myself in it so as to not make my daughter uncomfortable with my staring. I only looked up when I could no longer hear her eating.
Looking at the plate, I could see she had made it half way through her sandwich and glass of milk. I glanced up at Bella next, who was throwing me a pleading look. Frowning, I debated whether to make her finish it or not. Deciding that it was not worth the fight, and that she'd probably already eaten more today than she had in a while, I nodded my head at her, to which she sighed in relief. As she was cleaning up, though, I informed her that I would expect her to eat all her dinner because of this. She nodded before washing her dishes.
Once she had finished, I lay my paper down before standing up and looking at my daughter expectantly. She looked at me and asked, "Is this really necessary?" I raised my eyebrow at her in question, and she responded, "I mean, why do you want to know what happened? I'm sure you've already figured it out, so why do you need me to say it? Anyways, you've already convinced me that I'm not to blame, and that I shouldn't feel bad for needing your guys help. I get it, so what more is there to discuss?" she stated nervously.
Narrowing my eyes at her, I asked her, "Do you truly not know where this conversation is headed Bella? Or did you think I was going to let your running away and almost dying go without mention?" I watched as she blushed and looked down. She knows, I thought, which is why she is trying to get out of the conversation. "Like I said Bella, we have much to discuss, so let us return to the living room and continue our conversation", I told her, while motioning for her to follow.
Taking our respective seats, I opened the discussion with a question. "So you blacked out, had a nightmare, and then what?" I prompted her.
Bella took a breath and started to speak. "I woke up to Jacob shaking me", spoke to her hands.
"Eyes Bella", I reminded her.
Grimacing, she lifted her head and continued. "So Jacob woke me up, and was worried, but I convinced him that I was fine, and that it would be best for him to leave." She paused, and I figured we had come to the part where she decided to run.
Looking her in the eye I motioned for her to continue. She rubbed her hands on her pants nervously. "The dream scared me. As you already know I believed what it was telling me, so I truly thought that I was bringing you all nothing but pain and suffering. So I left. I thought if I got away, I would be able to think more clearly… I don't know", she finished pitifully.
I remained silent, while staring at her in disappointment. "What exactly was your plan Bella? Where were you going?" I asked, having a feeling she would not be able to answer.
She looked at me guiltily before shrugging her shoulders a bit. As I narrowed my eyes at her, she began to speak rapidly. "I'm sorry Dad! I-I didn't really think! I w-was really p-panicked and I needed to get away. I figured I would just drive until I grew t-tired, a-and then call…" she trailed off, shrinking away from me as I openly glared at her.
I stared at her, appalled by her lack of forethought and self-preservation. The silence hung heavily between us causing my daughter to squirm uncomfortably.
"You were reckless Bella", I finally told her, softly and simply. I watched as her brow knitted slightly, and then as her eyes slowly widened and she paled as she realized what I was insinuating. Immediately she began to shake her head at me and plead, "No Dad, please! I-I was- I mean I didn't- It's not what you think! I wasn't", she stammered before I held up a hand silencing her.
Looking at her pleading expression, I calmly asked, "Alright Bella, explain to me how you were not reckless? Tell me how you calmly and rationally came to the decision that leaving was the best option. Tell me how you came up with the wise decision to ignore a bleeding head wound and go driving when you'd already proven that your exhaustion could cause you to pass out unexpectedly". I leaned back, crossed my arms, and looked at her expectantly.
Bella looked at me with wide eyes, opening and closing her mouth as she tried to come up with a good argument. Needless to say, she failed miserably.
When she continued to remain silent, I raised my eyebrow at her. "Well Bella, I'm waiting".
She bit her lip before blowing out a breath and looking away sullenly.
"That's what I thought", I quietly said to myself, while frowning in disappointment at my child. "You were extremely reckless Isabella and, as you well know, in this family I do not tolerate that kind of behavior at all", I told her sternly.
I watched as Bella frowned before clenching her fists tightly and staring resolutely at her lap.
I could feel the tension escalating in the room the longer I spoke. "You endangered your life foolishly and needlessly, and the consequence for such behavior is a sound spanking," I informed her, watching as her knuckles turned white from how hard she was clenching. And still, she refused to look at me.
Frustrated and angered by the blatant disrespect she was showing me, I asked her, "Do you disagree with anything I have said Bella? Or do you have anything you would like to say in your defense?"
Immediately, my fiery tempered daughter looked up at me and glared. "I don't agree", she said through gritted teeth. Oh no, I thought dispiritedly. I pinched the bridge of my nose, while praying for patience. Opening my eyes once more, I gave my daughter a hard stare before asking calmly and evenly, "What is it that you don't agree with?" I hoped that responding in a calm and quiet manner would help calm her temper; however, it only seemed to add fuel to the fire.
Bella immediately stood up, and in an angry tone said, "I don't agree with any of it! I think you're making a mountain out of a mole hill and I'm done! I'm through talking! I've spilled my guts out to you and now you wanna spank me for it!"
I remained seated, watching silently and impassively as my daughter ranted at me. I felt it would be best for her to get this out of her system, but I was finding it more and more difficult not to intervene the longer she spoke.
"I gave you what you wanted. I told you what was wrong and now you're going to punish me for what I said!" she shrieked outraged.
Still remaining seated, I interjected, "Isabella, I am not punishing you for confiding in me. I am going to punish you for being reckless and almost getting yourself killed."
"I don't care. I won't stand for it", she told me defiantly.
Standing up finally, I crossed my arms and gave my daughter a hard glare. My daughter was very close to crossing a line with me. "Young lady, I was not asking for your permission. You know the rules and the consequences. You will receive a spanking whether you want it or not", I told her sternly.
Mirroring my stance, my daughter crossed her arms and gave me a hard and defiant glare. "No," she said.
"No?" I questioned in a menacing tone.
My daughter swallowed nervously but her reckless courage did not dwindle. She was in a rage, and it was clear all rational thought had left her. "No," she said more confidently, "I won't let you."
"You won't let me?" I questioned her incredulously. My human daughter was not seriously challenging me, was she? This is getting out of control, I thought. I need to reel her back in before she says or does something she'll truly regret.
I took a menacing step towards my daughter and in a dangerous tone said, "You, my disrespectful child are on seriously thin ice. You do not tell me what I can and cannot do, and this conversation is not over until I say it is. I am your father and you will do as I tell you to, not the other way around. Do you understand me?" I glared at her, a growl rumbling in my chest as she huffed and turned her head away.
Where had this child's head gone? I thought astounded. It was taking all my control not to wallop her here and now.
"What has gotten into you Bella?" I asked exasperatedly.
"You!" she immediately screamed at me. "You keep trying to tell me what to do and control my life and I'm sick of it! I'm an adult and I can make my own decisions!" And with that, she turned and started to walk away.
Caught off guard for a second, I immediately growled loudly at my daughter. "Isabella Marie Swan! Come here this instant young lady!" I ordered her as the last threads of my patience began slipping.
She abruptly turned around and with a wild look in her eyes screamed, "FUCK OFF CARLISLE!"
Silence suddenly filled the air with tension so thick you could cut it with a knife.
"What did you just say to me?" I asked her quietly and dangerously.
Finally realizing she had crossed a line, Bella froze in shock with a hand covering her mouth. All the rage immediately left her body, and with it went my patience.
My mind was a buzz of angry and hurt thoughts as I began to slowly make my way towards my quivering daughter. With each step I took, she hastily tried to back away. Still with her hand covering her mouth, she stared at me with wide, apologetic eyes. It was too late though. I was done. I was fed up with her temper and her disrespect. She had crossed a line and now she would suffer the consequences.
"Not. Another. Step", I warned her menacingly, causing her to immediately freeze in place. I could hear her heart pounding away, and smell the tears that were already forming as I reached her. I stared at my daughter in extreme disappointment and anger. "With me", I ordered before walking away.
Knowing she would not dare to disobey, I walked into the downstairs bathroom and pulled out a new bar of soap. Ignoring her groan of despair, I ran the bar under water for a minute before turning towards my daughter. She stared at me with pleading eyes and when it looked as though she was about to speak, I growled, immediately silencing her.
"Open your mouth and hold out your tongue", I told her sternly. With tears falling, Bella hesitantly opened her mouth before sticking out her tongue. I then proceeded to scrub her tongue and the sides of her mouth thoroughly before setting the bar on her tongue and telling her to bite down. Ignoring her noises of disgust I steered her over and sat her down on the edge of the tub.
"Five minutes", I said before turning my back on her. I ran a hand through my hair before pinching the bridge of my nose in an effort to control my temper. I cannot believe she would dare speak to me like that! Has she completely lost it? After taking a deep and calming breath I turned around immediately and glared at my squirming daughter.
Noting my gaze, she glanced at me before hurriedly looking away. Her heart began to pound more frantically and tears began to fall more rapidly down her face. Realizing that I was truly scaring her, I took a few steps back and closed my eyes. Although a little fear would do her some good, I did not want her to fear me. Taking deep breaths, I forced the anger and tension out of my body, leaving me only with extreme disappointment.
Opening my eyes, and noting the time, I quickly ran into the kitchen and grabbed a small cup before running back into the restroom. Walking towards my daughter who was watching me warily, but no longer in fright, I held out my hand and said, "Open". She immediately spit out the bar, groaning softly as she made to get up. I held her in place with a look before giving her the cup. "Only one rinse Isabella", I told her before throwing the bar away and walking to stand in the doorway.
Bella grabbed the cup, filled it with water from the sink and took in a huge gulp, rinsing her mouth of the horrid taste, before spitting it all out.
"That's enough", I told her sternly as she continued to try and spit out as much of the taste as she could.
She groaned before looking at me pleadingly and saying, "Dad, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean what I said! I'm sorry!" she continued to cry to me.
"Hmmm", was my only response before I motioned for her to follow me back into the living room. I then ordered for her to stay put as i walked into the kitchen and grabbed a stool. Walking back into the living room, I set the stool in a corner and walked towards my daughter. When I reached her I promptly sat down, pulling her over my knees before she could even form a coherent thought.
Once the shock wore off though, she began to plead with me once more. "Daddy, please! I'm so so sorry!" she cried to me before I gave her bottom a hard swat.
"Hush Bella", I scolded her. "The time for discussion is over and now it is time for you to listen to me. Do I have your attention?" I asked her. When she didn't immediately respond, I gave her a few more hard swats before repeating the question.
"Yes! Yes! You have my attention!" she cried out.
"Wonderful", I replied before beginning to lecture her. "Never have I been more disappointed in you Isabella Marie than I have in these past few days. Your behavior has been atrocious. You have been willful, defiant, and extremely disrespectful to me on numerous occasions", I chided her. I could feel Bella's shudders as sobs wracked her body, and I began to rub soothing circles on her back to help calm her. As much as her pain tore at my heart she needed to hear what I had to say. "Are you listening Isabella?" I asked her sternly.
"Y-Yes Daddy", she responded tearfully.
"I understand that you have been dealing with these nightmares Bella, and that they have caused you extreme distress. I understand that you are not accustomed to confiding in anyone, and that you are used to being independent and free to do as you please. But as I have told you repeatedly, I will not stand for you screaming at me, nor cursing at me. Nothing gives you the right to act in such a deplorable manner, nothing!" I chided her angrily.
"Also, I know you may be an adult legally, but no matter how old you are, you will always be my child. The appalling behavior you have exhibited numerous times over these past few days have been that of a child, so you'll have to forgive me for failing to look at you as an adult. If you want me to treat you as an adult, then act like one," I told her sternly. "Do you have anything to say for yourself young lady?"
"I-I'm sorry Daddy! I really am!" she told me.
"I warned you Bella that if you ever spoke to me in such a manner I would wash your mouth out with soap in addition to a spanking. Now, I believe I have said enough for the moment, so let us move onto your spanking."
"Noooo", my daughter moaned into her hands.
Taking a breath to strengthen my resolve, I raised my hand and then brought it crashing down on my daughter's jean covered backside. Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!
"Owww!" cried my daughter as I continued to spank her. "Owww Daddy, please stop!" she pleaded with me while grabbing onto my leg.
Ignoring her pleas, I continued to pepper her entire backside with smacks, eventually moving onto the more sensitive undercurves.
"Ahhhhh!" my daughter screamed. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Please no more!" she yelled out before becoming limp and breaking into sobs.
Knowing she had finally given in, I decided it was time to end the spanking, so I gave her a final ten hard swats on her sit spots.
"OWWWWW!" she shrieked, and I abruptly lifted her and pulled her into my arms.
My daughter clung to me, sobbing her heart out while I tried my best to soothe her.
I-I-I'm s-so" my daughter tried to say, but I shushed her. "Shhh Bella, it's alright now child, all is forgiven" I whispered to her.
I continued to rock her and rub her back soothingly until eventually her sobs subsided. At this point Bella looked up at me with tear stained eyes and opened her mouth to speak, but I placed my finger on her mouth to keep her silent.
"Your punishment is not over yet, my daughter", I told her somewhat regrettably.
Bella's eyes widened and tears began to fill her eyes once more. She began to began to shake her head at me, saying "Noooo, please Dad".
Shaking my head at her I pulled her up, dragged her over to the corner with the stool, and sat her down on it. I winced as she yelped, but my resolve did not falter. "You will sit there for the next thirty minutes Bella, and I want you to seriously think on your behavior these past few weeks. When those thirty minutes are over I want you to tell me what exactly you have been doing wrong during that same period. If you cannot answer my question then you will remain seated there until you can. Is that understood young lady?" I asked her sternly.
"Y-yes sir!" she assured me as she squirmed on the chair trying to alleviate some of the pain.
"Quit squirming Isabella", I scolded. "I will be watching you, so if you continue to squirm or try to stand up, I will warm your bottom some more and make those thirty minutes an hour", I warned her before taking a seat on the couch.
A/N: So Bella's fiery temper makes a comeback and damn did she go all the way! Re-reading this, even I cringe at her outright defiance. Hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did. It's definitely one of my favorites! Thanks so much to all my faithful reviewers; keep them coming! And to those of you haven't, please please review! Let me know what you think!